Love and Truth
by angel-castiel-rules-the-world
Summary: Pre-series, established long-term Deeks/Callen relationship. How will Deeks react to Callen's shooting at the end of Legends? How will he cope when he discovers everything he believed to be true about the man he loved is actually a lie? And how will the team deal with learning about the private life of their team leader none of them knew he had? Love story told through flashbacks.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, I know I shouldn't, but this idea just won't leave me alone. So I decided what the hell, its Christmas and the holidays have started. Therefore I should have more time to write. So I did. I have started yet another story.**

 **Right first things first, I would like to apologise for any spelling or grammatical errors in this story, I'm dyslexic and don't have a beta. Therefore if Word doesn't spot them, I am unlikely too as well.**

 **That being said, I hope you enjoy my new Callen/Deeks story.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

Sam Hanna sat at his partner's bedside, having no idea what to do to help him through this. There were tubes everywhere, and all the machines that were keeping G alive were constantly beeping and making sound. It was starting to grate on his nerves and he had only been in the room for an hour. At least sitting here was better than out in the waiting room while G had been in surgery. That had been crucifying not knowing what was going on, if G was even still alive.

He could still see it in his minds eye, the door of the van sliding open and the machine gun pointing out, firing bullets into G's body without care. If only he had noticed the strange behaviour of the van sooner, or maybe if he had accompanied G to his apartment. No. He knew if he had done that it was possible they would both be lying there dying. At least he was here, he could get G to come back to him. Oh god he had better come back to him.

* * *

Detective Marty Deeks was having a normal day at the precinct, well sort of normal. He was looking forward to his partner coming back from his work trip. He couldn't wait to see him, though at least this one hadn't been as long as some of them. If you counted in his time doing undercover and Greg's trips, sometimes it felt like they barely saw each other for months on end. He guessed that was how people felt when in relationships with people in the military, but at least he knew Greg was safe. I mean he was a securities trader, whatever one of those was, he still didn't know and they had been together for nearly four years now.

All he really knew was that it meant G would have to fly out to different places at the drop of a hat for meetings and conferences, and he worked all hours. Whenever he asked him about it, his lover would always change the subject or tell him it was too boring to explain. Something that had not gone unnoticed by Deeks along with other things, like the simple fact he had never met any of G's colleagues. But he always put them to the back of his mind. No doubt G had a perfectly good explanation for them all, there was nothing to worry about, and tonight Greg would be back. He had the best evening planned, a nice romantic dinner in their apartment before snuggling up on the couch together and pretending to watch a movie, though no doubt they would soon get distracted. Oh yeah he couldn't wait. Checking his watch he saw he had a long to time to go yet. Best get some work done then.

* * *

Sam was interrupted from his thoughts by a nurse coming in with some paperwork. He already raised his hand to sign it when she spoke.

"Mr Deeks?" She asked with a comforting smile, though the name caused Sam to frown. Who?

"What? no." Sam responded really confused now. Had they gone and got G's paperwork mixed up with someone else's? If so he might just have to talk to Hetty about seeing if they could get him moved from this hospital, they obviously didn't know what the hell they were doing.

"But… you said you were Mr Callen's next of kin." The nurse replied confused herself now as she looked down at the papers in front of her. It clearly read that G Callen's next of kin was a Martin Deeks, and if this wasn't Mr Deeks… he could not give consent for any procedures they might need to do, not to mention the permissions he had already given would not be valid.

"I am. Sam Hanna." Sam answered shortly. He was not in the mood for this.

"That isn't the name we have on his records." The nurse replied firmly. She had to go with what she had written down. It was the law, especially considering Mr Callen could not comment for himself.

"Then your records must be wrong. I am G's next of kin, with Henrietta Lange." Sam responded through gritted teeth. He didn't need this, his best friend was lying, and possibly dying in front of him, and the hospital were stone walling him. He was G's next of kin, he didn't have anyone else.

"Right, well, I'd best go and see…" the nurse trailed off as she looked at the second name on the form, and it was indeed Henrietta Lange.

"Yeah you do that." Sam scoffed turning back to G and barely even registering as the nurse left. He did not need this, G didn't need this. Maybe he should call Hetty, no doubt she could get it sorted out, but he really didn't want to. He didn't want to hear the worry in her voice as she prepared herself for the worst. No, he couldn't do that. So instead he stayed there and decided to leave it up to the hospital staff to sort out.

The nurse returned to the station with a frown on her forehead. She didn't know what to do.

"What's up?" her friend asked noticing the look and coming over to her. She had thought getting the guy to sign the papers would be a piece of cake.

"That man in there isn't the one listed as Mr Callen's next of kin." The nurse replied with a sigh as she rubbed her forehead. She could feel a headache coming on. This was going to cause trouble, she just knew it. She did not want to be in the middle of some sort of lover's triangle or whatever this was.

"What? But he said-" her friend responded frowning herself now. I mean the only reason they let the guy in there was because he said he was Mr Callen's next of kin, if he wasn't…

"I know." The nurse nodded with a sigh following the train of thoughts of her friend. This was going to get messy.

"You'll have to contact the man listed." Her friend said in a confident tone. They had to follow policy, no matter what.

"I know." The nurse sighed again before reaching for the phone, though she decided to make sure to call the other name on the list as well. If both men knew this Henrietta Lange, maybe she could diffuse the no doubt volatile situation that was about to rise.

* * *

Deeks was at his desk going over his paperwork when he phone rang. He didn't even check the caller ID before answering, therefore he was surprised when he heard it was a hospital. But when he heard what the nurse on the other end had to say he felt all the blood drain from his face. If he hadn't already been sitting down he knew he would have fallen. G was hurt, not just hurt, but he could be dying in hospital… and yet it was only now they phoned him. What the hell? No. Don't get angry, just get to G. Get to Greg, everything would be fine once he was with him. That was his only thought as he hung up and grabbed his coat, not even registering his lieutenant shouting at him as he walked out the door. He didn't care about anything but getting to the hospital now.

* * *

Sam was sitting beside G bed when he heard shouting coming from outside, he turned to glare at the man who had wavy blond hair, he looked like a surfer-bum. What the hell was he shouting about? Didn't he know this was the ICU, you didn't shout here. he stood, about to go out and say something, anything to get away from the sound of those damn machines and G lying there lifeless in front of him. But before he could move towards the door it flew open and the blond man ran inside, moving so quickly to G's side Sam didn't have time to react before he had grabbed his hand. And when he spoke his words made Sam's mouth drop open.

"Gregory Callen, you get your ass back here to me, you understand? I need you. I love you, don't you dare leave me. I'm the cop. I'm the one who's supposed to be shot at, not you. So you come back to me. Right. Now."

"Who the hell are you?" Sam snapped finally finding his voice refusing to take in any of the words the surfer-bum had just uttered. He didn't really care who he was, he just wanted him away from his partner.

"I think I should be the one asking that, don't you?" Deeks snapped back, not taking his eyes from the man lying unconscious on the bed, though he knew exactly where the other guy was. He wanted to know who he was and why he was sitting beside his partner's bedside. Though a horrible thought went through his head as he wondered if maybe this guy was the real reason for all of G's trips away and late nights. Was G cheating on him with… him?

"No. Get away from him." Sam growled moving as if to grab the intruder, but stopping short when he realised how close he was standing to the machines that were keeping G alive. He didn't want to risk knocking any of them over if he fought him.

"You want me to move, you'll have to make me." Deeks responded in the same tone, he was so done with this man. He and G had been together for four years, and they were the best four years of his life. He would not give that up without a fight. And he wouldn't give up G without having him telling him to, to his face. This stupid big guy didn't stand a god damn chance.

"Gladly." Sam replied with a sneer. All the anger of the situation and worry and frustration over G lying in that bed, dying, seemed to spill over inside of him as he looked into the defiant glare the young man was giving him.

"Be warned, I'm a cop. I will shoot you." Deeks answered with, one hand going for his gun, while the other remained firmly holding G's hand. He wouldn't let go of that unless he was dead. No way.

"You think you scare me?" Sam asked in disbelief at the stupidity of the man in front of him. Did he really think he could take him? He was a SEAL. No cop could take him.

"Yeah I do." Deeks replied with a smirk. He was wanted the guy to make a move, give him someone to shoot, someone to blame for why the man he loved was fighting for his life and he hadn't been there for him until now.

"You little shit, I will-" Sam said as he advanced, though his movement was checked by a third voice joining the conversation. It was a voice he knew he couldn't ignore, and it was a voice that would brook no argument from anyone.

"Gentlemen please. We are all here for Mr Callen. So perhaps we can all behave cordially or I will get security to remove the both of you. Is that understood?"

At the words, seeing the big guy stop and turn towards the new voice Deeks did as well, only to see a little woman standing there with her hands clasped in front of her calmly. There was something about her that was familiar, as if he had seen her before. But he couldn't place where or why. Therefore he didn't stop to think before he asked "who the hell are you?"

"My name is Henrietta Lange, detective Deeks, and I am Mr Callen's boss." Came back the reply, making Deeks stand there with his mouth open. He suddenly realised that there was a lot more going on here than he knew. Because he recognised that name, it was one that G had always told him to call if he ever needed to get in contact with him while he was away. It was the name G had insisted he put down as his own second next of kin just in case.

But the one thing the man he loved had never told him about that name was that he worked for her. What the hell?


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello my darlings. I would to thank Scififan33, LKK (Guest), anonkp, honus47, GoldenEyes-65, Petunia3116, Gina Callen, elsje1967 and French fan (Guest), for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update. You are all awesome.**

 **So here is the next chapter, I hope you like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

Hetty sat behind her desk in the office staring at the phone as she had been doing ever since Sam had called her to tell her what had happened. She knew she had to pick it up and make a call of her own. Call the man she had never spoken too, though had heard so much about over the years. The man that no one here apart from herself even knew existed, and not for the first time she wanted to grab Callen by the neck and make him tell his partner the truth, either of them… or better yet, both of them. But no, Mr Callen had insisted on telling no one, because he knew if he did he would have to tell Detective Martin Deeks the truth too. And she knew that he thought he would leave him if he did that. If he knew he had been lying to him for the whole of their relationship.

Oh, she knew Callen had his reasons for staying quiet, for not telling anyone about the other life he lived on a daily basis. She understood the need for secrecy, but that did not mean she approved of the lengths Mr Callen had taken it. She had just never found the right reason to make him question his decision. Well she definitely had now, if he survived this then she knew he would have to talk when he awoke, no not if, when he survived, it would be up to him to deal with the fallout. Because she did not doubt for a minute that the truth would come as a shock to those closest to the senior agent.

She had just reached out for the handle of the phone, for the fifth time, when it started ringing. Checking the number calling her she sighed. It was the hospital. She just hoped it wasn't to tell her that Mr Callen was dead, and the reason the man who loved him so very much hadn't been able to say goodbye was because she had been prevaricating. Oh she really hoped that was not the case.

"Henrietta Lange speaking." She said in an even voice as she answered the call. She would not show her worry or upset to a stranger, she had to be strong, for the team and for Detective Deeks.

"Hi, this is Nurse Watkins. I have you listed as a next of kin for G Callen, is that right?" Came the friendly voice down the line letting Hetty breathe out. This was not the call to tell her he was dead then, this was the call to confirm who it was that could make decisions while Callen was unconscious. That conversation she could deal with easily.

"It is indeed." She agreed already starting to stand even while she spoke on the phone. If they had not called Mr Deeks, then no doubt there had been some confusion. She should have gone straight in herself, but she had forgotten when Mr Hanna had called her that he was not in fact in any position to make decisions for Mr Callen anymore.

"Then could I ask you to come to the hospital? It seems the man who brought him in is not his other next of kin, and well… he did not seem to take the information very well." The nurse explained rather uncomfortably. This woman's calm terrified her. She had never known anyone so peaceful and in control when someone they cared for was seriously injured.

"No. I cannot imagine Mr Hanna would. I will be there as soon as possible. Have you called Mr Deeks?" Hetty asked thinking that maybe the hospital staff had saved her that phone call at least, even if she knew as she thought it, she was being a coward. She should have made that call as soon as Sam Hanna had informed her that his partner had been shot.

"I did, he is on his way." the nurse replied, in a slightly worried voice. She had no idea what was going to happen when the other man arrived. He had sounded less than happy to be informed that G Callen had already been through difficult surgery and it was only now that they were calling him.

"Ah, thank you Nurse Watkins." Hetty answered before hanging up, understanding purely from the frightened sounding voice on the other end of the line how the young man had responded. She really did need to get to the hospital to make sure he and Sam did not kill it each other.

* * *

Hetty could hear the growled sound of frustrated voices as she walked up the corrivdor, and she knew she needed to act fast. But when she got to the door she couldn't stop herself from pausing for a second, to take in the close-up sight of Detective Deeks. She had, when Callen had told her of their relationship, done background on him. He was a rising star in the LAPD, and even if her agent hadn't put her onto him, she would have watched him, waiting for the right time to pinch him for her team. But this was the first time she had ever seen him up-close. Oh she had seen him and Callen when they had been out and about together. Watching from afar and seeing the love that followed so easily between the two. But now she saw it in the hurt and worry in his tense stance, and when she spoke and he turned to her, she could see it in his eyes as they burnt into her.

"Gentlemen please. We are all here for Mr Callen. So perhaps we can all behave cordially or I will get security to remove the both of you. Is that understood?" She said knowing Sam Hanna would stop the instant he heard her voice. He knew better than to disobey her. Everyone at OSP did, well with the exemption of G Callen at any rate. She also knew that her words would do little to the detective, protectively holding his lovers hand.

"Who the hell are you?" He snapped at her, but she had been prepared for that. Prepared for him to know nothing of her, even when she knew so much about him.

"My name is Henrietta Lange, Detective Deeks, and I am Mr Callen's boss." Hetty replied calmly, hoping that at that Mr Deeks would ease. Instead she saw an million different thoughts go through his head, recognition at her name, as well as questions. So many questions. Damn you Callen. But she decided it best not to say anything else, instead she stood there, waiting for the younger man to collect his thoughts so he could lead the conversation. Because right now she was more than happy to tell him anything he wanted to know and more. He deserved it in her mind. It was time for the truth to come to light.

Turning she glared at Sam when she saw him open his mouth. She knew what he was going to say, he was going to demand to know who Detective Deeks was to G, and he would demand he be removed from the room. But despite what Sam believed, he did not have that right. In this hospital, at this moment in time, Mr Hanna had no rights at all. What a bloody mess.

"You don't look like a securities trader." Deeks finally responded completely ignoring the man in the room. He seemed to be doing whatever Henrietta said, so that was good enough for him. Maybe she could finally give him the answers he had always sought about G's work.

"That is because I am not one." Hetty replied with a sad smile. She could tell from the detective's voice that he hadn't been asking her if that was what she did, but more asking her to confirm the truth that it was what Mr Callen did not do.

"I'm guessing G isn't either." Deeks answered with a sigh, manfully ignoring the snort coming from the big man, though he was wondering what the hell he was still doing there. He didn't have any right to be here, he should leave.

"No. he is a federal agent who specialises in undercover operations." Hetty replied simply making Deeks sag and gently sit down on the side of G's bed. He was an undercover operator for a federal agency. No wonder he kept flying out all over the wold and never knew how long he would be gone. He was a freaking spy. How the hell had he not realised this? How hadn't he seen it, in all their years together?... how could G lie to him for so long? No think about that later, he needed to know exactly what agency G worked for, though there was the obvious answer to that one.

"CIA?"

"Not currently, we all work for NCIS. Agent Hanna here is Mr Callen's partner." Hetty replied without blinking an eye, though she could see the frown Sam was giving her, as if he was wondering why she was telling this man about who they were. But couldn't he already see the answer to that? I mean Mr Deeks hadn't let go of Callen's hand yet, nor did she think he would any time in the near future. Surely it was obvious that he loved him, even if Mr Hanna did not yet know it was reciprocated by his partner.

"Well he obviously needs to get better at his job." Deeks muttered, trying to keep his voice quiet but he was so angry, and if this agent Hanna was here, then that must mean G had been hurt on the job. Therefore he hadn't been watching his back properly. So really this was all his damn fault in Deeks' mind.

"Hey, you little punk-ass-" Sam growled moving once more towards the man who dared to insult him. Dared to say he didn't have G's back. Hell without him G would have died on that sidewalk, he was the one who had kept him alive. Him.

"Mr Hanna. Detective Martin Deeks is Mr Callen's significant other. They have been together for-" Hetty snapped out, making Sam stop and blink as her words sank in. G and this… surfer-bum were in a relationship? Yeah right. He doubted that thank you very much, for one G didn't swing that way. He would know if he did. But even as Sam was trying to convince himself of this truth Deeks interrupted Hetty with exactly how long he and G had been seeing each other.

"Four years, 2 months and 17 days. How long he been with you?" Deeks asked smirking. He knew it wasn't as long as he and G had been together in fact he could probably pinpoint the exact date if he thought about it. The time when G started staying at home more, working in LA rather than disappearing so often all over the world. The time he settled down more. He had told him he had taken a new position, so he could spend more time with him. Now Deeks had no idea how true those words were, if they were the reason, or a fabrication. Just as everything else G had ever told him. Oh god, it had all been a lie, it was all a lie. Their life together was a lie.

Hetty watched Deeks and she could tell he wasn't listening to Sam's response of it being need to know. She could see the confusion slip back into his mind, and she could almost read the concerns he was going through. Could see the main wonder in his mind of how much of him and Callen together had been real. If he had lied to him for so long about what he did, how much else had he lied about? Being an undercover cop, she knew Deeks knew how far it could be taken. And she knew that hearing what agent Callen truly did made him wonder if he had been just another cover. She didn't know how to help him to stop thinking things like that. He didn't know her, would not believe a word she said. She needed to make him remember the good he and Callen had together. The love they felt for each other. The real truth of the bond between them, because if he did not, by the time Mr Callen awoke, he could well have lost the best thing that ever happened to him.

"Tell me Mr Deeks, how was it you too met?" she asked softly, pulling him from his mind with ease at her startling question.

Deeks turned to look in confusion at the little woman, Henrietta, to see she had taken the chair. Not letting go of G's hand as he wondered why she wanted to know. Then he realised, it wasn't for her benefit, it was for his. Okay, fine, he doubted it would work, but okay. It would at least take his mind away from the craziness swirling around inside it.

"I had just been made detective…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello my darlings. I hope you all had a good Christmas, and that you have a good new year. I would like to thank Beststoriesever, Guest, Adriana Dricks, French fan (Guest), honus47, Petunia3116, and anonkp for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured this story since my last update.**

 **So this is the first flashback chapter/section. Now all the flashback bits will be in italics throughout this story, but I will no doubt mention that a lot as I go on.**

 **Anyway I hope you like how I have Callen and Deeks meeting. Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

 _Four years, two months and 17 days ago…_

 _Detective Martin Deeks made his way down the sidewalk with a spring in his step. He had been out with the guys from the precinct to celebrate him gaining his golden shield. No more beat cop for him, he was now a detective. He had had a few beers, not enough to really impair him, but it was enough to make him decide to leave his car at the bar and collect it in the morning._

 _He was a couple of blocks from his apartment when he heard strange noises coming from the alleyway to his left. His hand automatically reached for his service weapon and the penlight he kept on his belt as he heard it again. It was the sounds of a fight, no not a fight, it was the sounds of someone getting their ass kicked. He couldn't let that happen, he was cop, and protecting people was what he did. Therefore without thought he stepped into the alley and shined his light on the screen at the end with a cry of "LAPD, freeze."_

 _Of course it wasn't until he had spoken that he realised that there were three big guys at the end, beating on someone who was on all fours on the floor. Okay, maybe not the best odds. He should probably have called for backup before entering the alley, but too late now. At least he could use the flashlight to shine in their eyes and therefore give him the advantage._

 _"I really wouldn't do that if I was you. This is none of your concern." The man in the middle said in a heavily accented voice as he started to move towards him. The other two, just standing back watching with smirks on their faces as if they were going to enjoy what was to come._

 _"I said Freeze." Deeks growled out, tightening the hold on his gun. He didn't really want to shoot the guy, he was unarmed as far as he could tell, or at least as unarmed as a guy with those sorts of muscles could be._

 _"Make me." He hissed with a crackle of laughter. But just as Deeks was about to pull the trigger and send the guy to his knees with a bullet in the shoulder, they both heard a grunt and thud from the three people behind them. Turning the flashlight back onto the back of alley, even though he knew he shouldn't, Deeks saw the two others guys down on the ground and the one who had been on all fours, and who he was convinced wouldn't have been able to move, was now standing, wiping off the blood from a cut on his lips as gave both him and the third man a friendly smile._

 _At that Deeks stopped thinking. Instead he turned and smashed his fist into the guy's unguarded face, sending him crashing to the ground. He had forgotten he still had his flashlight held tightly in his hand. That had no doubt contributed to the fact that his adversary was now out for the count._

 _"Nice left hook, LAPD." The bloody man said, stepping carefully over the bodies and making his way out of the alley as quickly as we could. Pulling Deeks along with him even as the detective still kept his gun trained on their three adversaries._

 _"I'd better call for back up to take these guys in. Then I'll get someone to take your statement." Deeks responded as soon as they were back on the sidewalk and he felt he could put his gun away in favour of pulling out his phone._

 _"No need. I'm not pressing charges." The stranger replied still smiling slightly, though even as Deeks turned to question him about that he saw he was swaying slightly on his feet. Damn, he should have made sure he was okay first. He had just presumed that he was fine considering he had just taken out two guys twice his size. Never assume Marty, came the voice of his captain inside his head. Yeah, first rule of being a detective._

 _"Let me at least get you an ambulance." He said switching who he was going to call on his phone, only to find the commutation device removed from his hand and the guy now smirking at him as he quickly dismantled it and took out the battery._

 _"I'm not going to hospital either. I'll be fine. Thanks for the assist." He said as he handed Deeks back his phone, now in three parts. What the hell? Who did this guy think he was? Deeks was just about to snap at him for destroying police property when he realised that he had already started to walk away. And even as he watched Deeks could see the guy reach out with his hand for the wall, as if needed it to keep him upright and heading in the right direction. Cursing the stupidity of macho guys, and his fondness for them, Deeks found himself jogging after the guy and grabbing his arm before hauling it round his shoulders._

 _"You know, you shouldn't sneak up on people like that. I could have killed you, or at the very least punched you." the guy said in a gentle yet gruff tone, as if he was trying to reprimand him but not really having the energy to do so._

 _"But you didn't." Deeks replied smirking at him as he got them both walking in the direction of his home._

 _"That was because I knew it was you." the man responded with a sigh as he realised he wasn't going to get rid of LAPD any time soon, so instead rested more of his weight onto the younger man._

 _"And you didn't want to mess up my pretty face? Thanks." Deeks replied with his usual slightly offbeat wit. Though as soon as the words were out of his mouth he was cursing himself. He really shouldn't be trying to flirt with a guy who had just gone who know how many rounds with the brick built guys they had left behind. Really not the best plan he had ever had, but he was Marty Deeks. He really only had two settings, flirtatious and cocky, or serious. And he really didn't want to be serious right then. Hmm, maybe he had had a few more beers than he had thought._

 _"Hu-hah. So where are we going detective?" The guy asked after he just stared at him for which seemed like way to long in Deeks mind, though he really did have gorgeous blue eyes. Even if they did look extremely guarded, but he could understand that. He would be guarded too if he had just been in the situation this guy had been._

 _"I live a couple blocks away. We can patch you up there." Deeks answered simply after thinking for a second. The guy wouldn't go to hospital, and his apartment was closer than any motel._

 _"Tut tut, detective. Already inviting me back to your place, and you don't even know my name." The guy replied with a shake of his head, though Deeks could see he was smirking. As if he knew something Deeks didn't._

 _"And yet you know I'm a detective, care to share about that one?" Deeks asked as he realised that that was twice the guy had called him by his title. But he was sure he had never met him before, and to be honest he had only been a detective for all of 12 hours, so any meeting they would have had would have been recently. And this guy was not someone he would easily forget, of that he was sure._

 _"Nope." The stranger answered smirking even more, as if he was finding the conversation amusing, in a good way. Or at least Deeks hoped it was a good way._

 _"Well I'm Detective Marty Deeks. Your turn." Deeks replied deciding that if he wanted to know more about this guy he was going to have to ask directly. And he had been right, they should at least know each other's names._

 _"G Callen." The man responded without any elaboration making Deeks roll his eyes._

 _"What does the G stand for? Or is that a secret?" He asked sarcastically, though he had not expected the response his words had gotten from the man, from G._

 _Because at his questions Callen laughed so hard he had to stop walking and take some deep breaths. His ribs were killing him, he was pretty sure at least one of them was cracked and if not, then seriously bruised. Hetty was going to kill him when she found out, if she found out. He didn't actually work for her, yet at any rate. He was still in the CIA, he didn't need to tell her about this incident. Did he, really?_

 _But no matter, that was a problem for another day. Right now he was standing on a street laughing at the words of a very cute detective. But he couldn't help it. It hilarious at just how close to the truth detective Deeks had just come without knowing it. Hmm, maybe he had hit his head at some point, this was surely not the response he should be giving. Not him, a seasoned trained undercover operator who had worked for almost every alphabet agency going._

 _"What's so funny?" Deeks asked when he realised that G wasn't going to explain, just stand there smiling at him before chuckling once more. Deeks really didn't understand, but he was starting to think that maybe he was the butt of some joke. But it was only the two of them, so how could he be?_

 _Callen looking up saw the worry and hurt starting to appear in the young detectives eyes, and he didn't want to see that. He didn't want to be the one to put it there. His eyes were adorable when they were full of laughter, he didn't like seeing them in confusion. Yet more strange thoughts. He had only just met the guy for god's sake, and it wasn't like he would ever see him again after this, right?_

 _But still Callen couldn't stop himself from pulling himself up to standing, or as close as he could get while leaning against the wall, and smiling at the younger man as he found the words to say. Trying to decide what his name would be today. "Nothing. The G stands for… Greg, Gregory Callen, at your service." Yeah, he hadn't been Gregory for a while. He always liked that name._

 _"Well Gregory, I think we need to get you home and lying down." Deeks replied moving to pull Greg's arm back over his shoulders so he could help him stand without having to use the wall to keep him upright._

 _Once they were on the move again Callen decided to carry on the conversation. He wanted to know more about this man, his little LAPD hero. "Do you take all the people you rescue from getting beaten to death home and to lie down detective Deeks?"_

 _"No, usually they go to hospital. But then again, none of the others were as sexy as you either." Deeks replied though as soon as the words were out of his mouth he wished he could smack himself for them. He really needed to stop flirting with this guy, and that couldn't even be construed as even remotely subtle, or being taken the wrong way._

 _Hearing Deeks call him sexy Callen couldn't help but chuckle gently. The guy really needed to get his eyes tested. "You have a strange definition of sexy, I'm covered in blood." He responded lightly feeling the tension that had tightened the detectives shoulders ease with his words._

 _"It's like buying a house. I can imagine how you look without the cuts and bruises." Deeks replied simply making Callen stop and stare at him for half a minute as he tried to process that sentence._

 _"Anyone ever tell you you're crazy?" He muttered before shaking his head and moving off once more. He hoped they wouldn't have to go much further, he was starting to feel every ache and pain from his beating. Hmm, maybe he should have gone to the hospital after all._

 _"All the time, but I know it's just because they are jealous of my superiorness." Deeks answered with his sunny smile and a swagger in his hips. It seemed Gregory didn't mind him thinking he was sexy. That was good, that was very good. Because it might just mean he was in with a chance after all. And he liked that idea very much. Though of course that idea was swiftly followed with a reminder that the guy had just been beaten. Get a grip Marty. He needs care, not come-on's._

 _"You keep on believing that Marty." Callen replied before finding himself forced to stop by a door leading to the block of apartments._

 _"I will, now you coming in or not? I promise to keep my hands to myself." Deeks responded waving his hands in the air to show what he meant, though he quickly grabbed Callen again when he seemed to be toppling over slightly._

 _"Then how are you going to clean all my cuts and bruises?" Callen asked moving to lean on the cute detective. He hadn't had this much fun in a long time, perhaps getting into a fight with the Russians wasn't such a bad idea after all. Or maybe he really had done some serious damage to his brain._

 _"Okay. Almost to myself." Deeks corrected as he pulled Callen through the door and up the stairs, already running through what he had in his first aid kit and hoping he would be able to help the man with him. He really didn't want Gregory Callen dying on him. Oh no, he really didn't want that._


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello my darlings. I would like to thank Clare1974, Scififan33, anonkp, honus47, french fan (Guest), No1DB (Guest), Guest and Petunia3116 for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **So sorry for the wait, I've had family over and therefore haven't been able to write much.**

 **Anyway enough from me here is the next chapter, again bits in italics are flashbacks/ the past. I hope you like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

Sam listened to what the kid had to say and he couldn't believe what he was hearing. G had been beaten so badly he couldn't walk on his own, and yet this guy, who claimed to love him, had just taken him home? Sam knew if G was that bad off, he should go to the hospital. In fact he would have made him go to the hospital. But no, this detective Deeks hadn't done that had he? Nope, he had taken his partner home, just because he wanted to get into his pants.

Sam was so busy imagining a Misery style hostage situation that he forgot how stubborn his partner could be. Or how before that night Deeks hadn't known Callen at all and therefore had no idea of his ability to ignore his injuries. He was too busy being pissed about all the things he didn't know about the man who he thought of as a brother. Too disbelieving that G would keep such an important part of his life a secret from him when he had told him about Michelle and his kids, to really understand the relationship between the detective and his partner.

No, he refused to accept it. Because G hadn't told him about it, therefore it couldn't be true. Not in Sam Hanna's black and white world of trust and partners. Not that he said any of this out loud. Not while Hetty was sitting there staring at Deeks like he was the second coming at any rate.

* * *

Hetty was smiling slightly as she remembered back to the time detective Deeks was talking about. She had always wondered how it was that Mr Callen had gotten those bruises and cuts when she had seen him two weeks later. Finally she had her answer, well some of it at least.

"Did he ever tell you what the beating was for?" She asked realising she was still short on some information.

"He tried to say it was a mugging, but I didn't buy it. In the end he told me he had won a bit too much at the Russians underground casino for them to be happy about it. Damn it. He was undercover wasn't he?" Deeks replied turning to look at the little woman as he realised that even his initial meeting with the man he loved was a lie, or at least the reason for it had been. Was there nothing G had ever told him that was the truth?

"I don't know. He wasn't working for me then, but I do know he was in LA to look into Russian involvement in an arms deal." Hetty responded gently. She understood what was going through the young man's mind and she needed to stop it. But at least she knew of one way to do that. She knew some intel which she hoped would help him see that G Callen loved him. That while he may have lied, the feelings they had for each other where one hundred percent the truth.

"Who was he working for?" Deeks asked with a frown. G had always told him to contact Henrietta if anything happened, it was why he had thought she was more than just his boss. And now, discovering that at the being of their relationship G hadn't been working for her… well that made him once more think she meant more to his partner than as his boss. So what was G and Henrietta's real relationship?

"The CIA. In fact earlier that day I had offered him a job but he had turned me down, again. Which was why I was very surprised when I saw him two weeks later and he asked me if the position was still available. He only had one condition, he wanted to be based in LA. Apparently he had found something worth staying around for." Hetty replied with a soft smile as she watched the detective's eyes widen at her words. Oh yes, G Callen had taken a job with her so he could stay in LA and be with detective Deeks. She had always known that, well known he was there for something. It had taken a few months for her to find out who. What she had not realised though was, that at the time that G Callen decided to take the job offer, to settle down back in LA, he had only known detective Deeks two weeks. That was a very short time, especially for Callen.

"He said that?" Deeks asked not caring about the thoughts going through Hetty's head and instead latching onto her words that G had stayed in LA for him. He had always said he did, but when he had found out about the lies… was it true, did G really stay for him?

"He did. What happened in those two weeks Mr Deeks?" Hetty asked wanting to know what it was that detective Deeks had done to be able to achieve the thing she had been trying to do for years before. Wanting to know what it was about the young man that had won over G Callen's heart in so little amount of time. What it was that he had, that caused her boy to trust him when she knew he still didn't trust even her completely. What was so special about Detective Marty Deeks to G Callen?

* * *

 _Four years, two months and 17 days ago…_

 _Deeks managed to get the guy up to his apartment and into his bathroom, where he started to undo the buttons on his shirt. He needed to get it off if he was gonna see Greg's injuries. And he needed to see them, because he was starting to think that other guy was going to need more medical help than he could give._

 _"That keen to get my clothes off are you?" Callen asked with a crooked smile as he fought to keep his eyes open. The walk back had taken a lot out of him, and right then all he really wanted to do was lie down and sleep for days. But he knew that he needed to see to his injuries first, and there was a chance he had a concussion. Hmm, maybe he should just suggest the detective call him an ambulance after all. But no. He had made it this far, if he was going to drop dead from the beating he was sure he would have done it already. So he was sure he was fine. Plus he kind of liked the idea of having this blonde haired, blued eyed man looking after him. He had no idea who he was or what he did. it felt… nice, refreshing, to be able to let go of all the covers and just be himself, even if it was just for a little while._

 _"I need to check you out Greg." Deeks chastised as he continued undoing Callen's clothes. He could see the start of the bruises forming on his ribs and he was worried about them. It didn't look good, there could be some internal injuries or something. But if there was one thing Marty Deeks knew how to check and look after, it was someone after they had had a beating. If nothing else it seemed his dad had taught him that special talent._

 _Therefore once he had Greg's shirt off he gently ran his practised fingers over the man's ribs, pushing them gently to see if any gave, to see if they were broken at all. He was glad to find that none did. It seemed Greg had gotten away with just bruising then. Damn he was one lucky son of a bitch._

 _"Nothing's broken from what I can tell." He said smiling his sunny smile up at the other man, not realising just how close their faces would be when he turned, but now seeing he could stare intently into the ice blue eyes._

 _Callen stared right back into the baby blues. He had the overwhelming idea to close the distance and seal his lips upon on the younger mans, but he knew that was a bad idea. And not just because his lip was cut and still covered in blood. Nothing would ever come of him and the detective, he needed to keep his distance from the guy who had saved his life without thought of his own. Therefore rather than kissing detective Deeks he spoke to lighten the mood._

 _"You a doctor as well as a detective?" Callen asked with a chuckle, though he did wince slightly as it pulled at the bruises._

 _"No, a lawyer." Deeks responded with a chuckle of his own as he took a step back, turning to get some wipes so he could clean up the cuts on Greg's face._

 _"A lawyer? Really?" Callen asked in disbelief. I mean this guy didn't look much like a cop, but a lawyer? Nope, he couldn't see it._

 _"I was, still hold my licence to practise. This might sting." Deeks responded moving to take Callen's chin in his hand as he gently started to clean him up, not even noticing how his thumb rubbed gentle, soothing circles into the other man's jaw._

 _"At least I know who to call if I ever get into trouble then, yeah?" Callen replied trying not to move much or wince at the feel of the antiseptic wipes against his injuries. He was also trying really hard to ignore the feel of the hand on his skin, and the breath that puffed across his face as the detective worked. He knew he could and should do this himself, but he really didn't have the energy to push Marty away. It was taking all he had not to react after all._

 _"You likely to get into trouble? I mean more trouble than you are already in?" Deeks asked wondering for the first time just who it was he had invited back to his home. Wondered if it really was the best idea he had ever had._

 _"Probably." Callen responded with a chuckle. He was spy, trouble sort of went hand-in-hand with the job description in his world._

 _"So Greg tell me, what do you do for a living?" Deeks asked almost as if he could read the other man's mind._

 _Callen wasn't sure how to answer that. Because he sure as hell couldn't tell him the truth. But he didn't want to say some bum job. He wanted Marty to respect him. To trust him, even if this was going to be the only meeting they ever had. He still didn't want the other guy to think badly of him. It was weird, but he knew there was nothing he could do to change whatever thoughts and feelings were going through his mind right then. So instead of his usual, I work in a bar or I travel, he dredged his mind for a decent, boring job. Something that was stable and good. "I'm a securities trader." He finally replied deciding that would work, not that he knew much about the profession. But he knew it was a good one, and would explain why he was there. He could say he was in LA for work, at a conference or something. Yeah that would work well._

 _"Right. And what's one of them?" Deeks asked with a raise of his eyebrow. What was a securities trader doing getting beaten up in an alley? Something was hinky there in the detectives mind. Some piece was missing, but he wasn't going to question Greg right then. No, he needed to help him get better first. Then he would start asking._

 _"Someone who doesn't have half as much fun as a detective does." Callen replied deflecting the question._

 _Before Deeks could think of anything to say to that he took his hand away from Greg, having cleaned him up as best he could. What he didn't expect was for the man to sway at the loss of his support. He quickly moved and grabbed Greg around the shoulders as he spoke. "Come on, let's get you into bed."_

 _Callen could do little more than nod to that suggestion. The world it seemed had decided that it was no longer going to remain still for him. He needed to sleep, preferably before he passed out. As such he had no problems with following Marty into his room, nor did he question it when the younger man changed him out of his clothes and placed a tee and sweats on his body before bundling him under the covers. As soon as his head hit the pillow Callen was out like a light._

 _Deeks on the other hand pulled a chair into his bedroom so he could watch over his surprise house guest. He wanted to make sure nothing happened during in the night, and as he did so he sent a text to an old friend. She was a nurse, and she would be the perfect person to come and check Greg over in the morning. Because there was no way he was letting the guy go until he knew he was okay to be by himself. He had no idea if he had family or friends to call on, but right then Deeks didn't care. All he knew was that Greg was his responsibility, and it was one he was going to take damn seriously._

 _And as he watched he noticed how peaceful the other man looked in sleep, and how much younger his face now seemed without the guarded expression etched upon it, even if he was seeing it under the cuts and the bruises that were starting to colour Greg's skin. He also took note of the fact he was right, the guy really was sexy as hell. Hmm, maybe he could get a date out of him in return for his help? Could be worth a try, right? It was with those thoughts Marty Deeks sat there and watched over G until the morning came._


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello my lovelies. I would like to thank Scififan33, sweettreat528, anonkp, Guest, honus47, Petunia3116 and Beststoriesever** **for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **So here is the next chapter, I hope you like it. Again the bits in italics are flashbacks. Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

 _Four years, two months and 16 days ago…_

 _As soon as Callen came back to consciousness the next morning his mind went onto high alert. He knew he was not in his hotel room, mainly because he was actually sleeping in a bed. He didn't really like them much unless he was sharing it. Keeping his eyes closed and his body relaxed he catalogued what he could hear, smell and feel, hoping it would give him some insight into where he was and how he was going to get out of whatever situation he had gotten himself into this time._

 _The sheets under him where of good quality, so at a guess he would say he was in a private home rather than any type of motel-no-tell. He could hear the ocean distantly, and feel a breeze on his face from his right, making him believe that there was an open window in that direction. No sounds echoed through the room he was in, and therefore he surmised that it must contain more furniture than just the bed. And finally he was sure he could hearing steady breathing coming from near him. Maybe some kind of guard?_

 _All these thoughts went through his mind in the spilt second it took for the memories of the previous evening to come rushing back and for him to realise exactly where he was and who it was that was watching over him. Marty Deeks, his own little LAPD hero. With that thought a chuckle escaped his lips as he turned and slowly opened his eyes to see Marty sitting in a chair in the corner of the room._

 _"You stay in that chair all night?" Callen asked as he stretched out, wincing as his injured ribs made themselves known._

 _"Had to make sure you didn't go and die on me now didn't I?" Deeks replied with a smile as he stared into those gorgeous eyes. He had been wondering if he had imagined how much the intense stare from Greg affected him, he was glad to see that he hadn't._

 _"Okay. You didn't have to do that." Callen responded feeling somewhat humbled that a complete stranger would forgo his own night of sleep just for him. It wasn't something that happened every day that was for sure._

 _"But I wanted to." Deeks replied with a sunny smile. He could see the shock and something slightly dark in Greg's eyes and he wanted to drive it away. It had no place in the man before him. Not in his mind at any rate._

 _Callen wasn't sure how to take that sentence, and therefore just gave the younger man a small smile before pulling himself up into a sitting position and pushing his legs over the edge of the bed. His mind registered the fact he was not wearing his clothes, but a soft pair of sweats. But he only had a hazy recollection of getting into them. He looked around the room hoping to spot his own stuff so he could change quickly. It was time to leave. But he couldn't see them anywhere, so turning back to the detective he smiled a larger smile, one that was practised to charm any informant out of the information he sought, and spoke._

 _"Well I'd best be on my way. Thanks for all your help.-"_

 _But before Callen could ask where his clothes were Marty interrupted him._

 _"You can't go yet." Deeks stated simply. There was no way he was letting this guy out of his sight just yet. No way in hell._

 _"Why not?" Callen asked raising his eyebrow at his rescuer wondering if he was about to become his captor. Not that he really thought Marty would do that, but… well he didn't do trusting people._

 _"Umm, because I may have called a friend of mine to who should be here soon and will check you over properly? She's a nurse and everything. Plus I'm making you breakfast." Deeks rushed to say, thinking quickly of reasons why Greg couldn't go. Reasons other than he wanted to get to know him better, get his phone number and get a date with him._

 _"You are, are you?" Callen asked in disbelief. This guy wanted to cook him breakfast? He couldn't remember the last time someone cooked him breakfast when he wasn't paying them to do it._

 _"Yep. Can't let you go without feeding you. What kind of host would that make me?" Deeks responded with a cheeky and endearing grin. Using everything he had to get Greg to stay, just a few more hours at least. He just wasn't ready to let him go yet._

 _"Fine. In that case, before your nurse arrives, any chance I can have a shower?" Callen asked, thinking he might be able to get his clothes back that way, then he could make a quick exit as soon as possible._

 _"Sure. I'll get you a towel." Deeks replied standing and moving towards the door, already thinking about what food he was going to prepare._

 _"And my clothes?" Callen asked just before he disappeared. He didn't want to be walking around in just a towel thank you very much._

 _"Oh um, well your shirt was kinda a right off, so I threw it out. The rest I put in the wash." Deeks answered suddenly looking like a naughty school boy waiting to be told off for doing the wrong thing._

 _But Callen looking at him knew he couldn't be angry with the guy, and in truth he wasn't. Not really. I mean how could be angry with someone who was taking care of him for no reason that he could see? Therefore he responded in a humorous tone to the situation. "Anyone would think your trying to keep me around."_

 _"No comment." Deeks replied before quickly disappearing to get everything ready for his guest to have a shower._

* * *

 _The hot water beating down on his skin helped Callen's muscles loosen considerably, and it eased the tension in his mind. He didn't need to run off straight away. No one was waiting for a report or needed him to check in. He was not uncover. His primary reason for coming to LA was to see Hetty again and have a break, the Russian job was just a side show, and one he was pretty sure he had now blown. His bosses could get someone else to try and infiltrate their damn business, he was out. That meant he could stay at Marty's for a little longer, spend more of his time in the enjoyable company of the attractive detective. Maybe even flirting a bit, just be a normal guy visiting LA. For a short time at least he could be the man he had always wanted to be, himself. Without the walls and the worry. Without having his guard all the way up. Because detective Marty Deeks was not related in any way to the life he led. With him he was a blank canvas. With him he was Gregory Callen, securities trader and injured man. Hmm, the idea of staying was looking better and better with every passing minute._

 _Deeks was in the kitchen talking to an older woman when Callen finally came in having dressed in the clean clothes Deeks had laid out for him on the bed._

 _"Greg, this is nurse Felpin. Patty, Greg Callen, the guy I called you about." Deeks introduced when he saw his guest standing in his doorway. He couldn't stop his heart skipping a beat at seeing the older man in his clothes. There was something about that, even if Greg was only wearing another pair of his sweats and a tee. They were still his things wrapped around that extremely hot body. And he knew it was hot, he had seen it naked last evening when he was helping him get ready for bed after all._

 _"So you're the young man that's got my boy in a twist are you?" Nurse Patty Felpin said once she had run a professional eye over the man in front of her. She had seen the cuts and bruises on his face, as well as noticed how he favoured one side. His ribs no doubt. But he was standing and had just showed, so she doubted there was any internal damage. If there had have been he would not be as alert as he seemed to be. It seemed he was one luckily guy._

 _"Patty." Deeks whined at her words. Okay, he may have mentioned a few things over coffee while Greg was in the shower, but did she have to embarrass him like that? Of course she did. He had known her since he was eleven years old and he was taken to hospital after he had shot his dad. She had been so kind to him, sitting with him at night so that he wasn't alone when he woke from a nightmare. Helping him come to terms with the changes that happened in his life at that time. They had been firm friends ever since._

 _"Hi, I'm Greg. Pleased to meet you, and thanks for doing this." Callen said ignoring Marty's whine, though he couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face at the idea that they had been talking about him. He hoped it was good things Marty had been saying._

 _"Don't thank me you silly boy. It's my job. Now let's get this over with shall we? I'm sure we both have much better things to do with our days." Patty replied in her no nonsense tone before grabbing her bag and moving in the direction of the Deeks' bedroom. She wanted to give her favourite boy a chance to snare his man. Therefore sooner this was done, the sooner she could be gone._

 _"Okay then." Callen muttered as he followed her out. She was not a woman you argued with it seemed. Hmm, she kind of reminded him of Hetty a bit. Just a little bit._

 _Once Patty had given Callen a proper examination and declared that there was nothing seriously wrong, just bad bruising that would mean he would need to rest for the next week, she quickly left. Giving Deeks some pain meds in case his house guest needed them, though the man did seem to have a high tolerance for pain. He had had not made one sound as she poked and prodded him._

* * *

 _After she had gone Deeks got down to the real business of preparing breakfast for him and Greg, having handed the other man a coffee before he did so._

 _"You really don't need to go to all this trouble Marty." Callen said as he watched the younger man move around the kitchen pulling out bacon and eggs, and if he wasn't mistaken ingredients for pancakes. He wasn't sure he had ever had proper home cooked pancakes before. Not made from scratch anyway._

 _"It's no trouble Greg. I like to cook on my days off." Deeks replied smiling over at him as he whisked up the batter._

 _"Call me G. So, not working today?" Callen asked just to make sure. He liked to the idea of sending his 'resting' time in the company of the younger man. Though he didn't want to outstay his welcome. Just a little longer, then he would go._

 _"Nope." Deeks responded before turning his back on Callen so he could get to cooking the food, he was trying to think of a subtle way of finding out more about Greg, no G. Mainly he wanted to know if he had someone waiting for him to come home. Someone who loved him. Therefore taking a deep breath he spoke in a casual tone, hoping to keep any signs of trepidation from his voice. "Hey, the phone's in the hall if you want to call someone, let them know you're alright. You know, your wife, or partner, or someone."_

 _"I would, but I don't have one. There is no one I need to call. I'm on vacation at the moment." Callen responded with an internal chuckle at how obvious Marty was being about trying to find out if he was single or not. At least he knew he wasn't the only one in the room who found the other attractive. Always good to know._

 _"Really? Wow. Nice way to spend your time off. Getting beaten up and then having to rest." Deeks replied turning to G and giving him a look of commiseration at the fact that he would be spending his vacation time in LA resting rather than going out and about, or surfing. In Deeks mind no one came to LA and didn't surf._

 _"I don't know. I can think of an advantage." Callen answered with a secretive smile as he stared into Marty's eyes, saying without a word being spoken just what, or rather who, he thought that advantage to his situation was._

 _"Only one?" Deeks asked cheekily as he waggled his eyebrows at the older man. He loved that G was flirting with him. Seemed he wasn't alone in seeing a possibility of maybe more between them._

 _"Well the breakfast does smell damn good." Callen deadpanned, making Deeks laugh as he turned back to make sure nothing was sticking. Wouldn't do to burn the food because he was distracted now would it?_

 _"So where are you going to stay?" He asked as he plated up and brought the breakfast over to the table G was sitting at._

 _"I have a hotel room." Callen answered with a shrug as if that was the obvious answer. Though in truth he was rather reluctant to return to the cold, lifeless place after being here with Marty._

 _"No. You can stay here." Deeks stated simply, as if the idea had just come to him and it hadn't been at the back of his mind ever since he first brought the other man home._

 _"I can't take your bed Marty." Callen replied with a shake of his head. It was one thing to spend a day with the guy, but to stay with him? Could he really do that? Could he be Greg Callen for that long? But even as he thought these things something inside him was pulling him towards accepting, something that he didn't understand. But whatever it was it craved the friendliness of the man whose kitchen he was sitting in, eating breakfast._

 _"We could always share it?" Deeks responded with a suggestive look, only half joking with his words. He would like nothing more than to share a bed with G Callen, but he wouldn't put any pressure on the other guy to do so. That would not work well._

 _"You're right, we could." Callen replied with a suggestive look of his own before turning back to his food. And though no other words were spoken about the idea of G staying with Deeks, he didn't leave his apartment that day, and when night came he pulled the younger man into the bed with him. Not for any other reason than he wanted the younger man to get a good night's sleep that night. And if in their sleep they ended up holding each other close, neither of them had a problem with it._

 _That was how G Callen found himself spending two perfect weeks with detective Marty Deeks. Having great breakfasts and eating dinner together while arguing over what they were going to watch on the TV, and by the third evening sharing kisses as they lay in each other's arms in bed._

 _It was intoxicating to him, being with someone who took him at face value, who didn't know the darkness he had inside. Didn't know the killer he was at his core. Marty shined with an inner light, and he unashamedly bathed in its warmth, driving out the cold that usually resided in his soul._

 _By the last night he knew he was addicted to that feeling. To being the person he was when he was with the younger man. He didn't want to have to return to the cold. He didn't want to give up what he had found there, in the apartment in the city he had never planned on returning to. But there was no way. When he returned to the agency he knew he would be sucked back into a world of darkness and despair. How did he stand a chance to hold onto the light?_

 _Then suddenly a conversation he had had with Hetty two weeks previously rose in his mind. The one where she had once again offered him a job at NCIS operations of special projects. It would be different from what he did for the CIA, but that could only be a good thing in his mind right then. And he would still go undercover. The best part about it though, would be the fact he would be based in LA. Maybe he didn't need to give up the new life he had found after all. Maybe he didn't need to give up Gregory Callen and his fledgling relationship with detective Marty Deeks._

 _Therefore taking a deep breath as they both sat down to their last breakfast together G Callen did something he had never done before in his life. He offered himself to someone else. Offered the man he had become in the short time he had spent with Marty, to the other man, and hoped as he had never hoped before that for once he would not be rejected. He did not want to be forced away from the light this man gave so freely. "So Marty. When I came to LA it wasn't just for a vacation."_

 _"No? So why'd you come?" Deeks asked with a frown, he still wasn't sure he believed G's explanation of the beating, that he had won a little too much money from the Russians in an underground casino. He really didn't seem the type of person to frequent such as place, or to even know they existed if truth be told._

 _"I had an interview. I wasn't planning on taking the job, but I'm thinking that maybe now… with this… us, maybe I would. What do you think?" Callen asked in such an unsure voice Deeks' heart went out to him and all thoughts of Russian mobsters went right out of his mind. Instead he reached across the table to place his hand over G's._

 _"You mean you're moving to LA?" He asked hope filling his voice and his eyes as he stared into the blue ones that had, over the course of the last two weeks, lost there guarded look, and were now filled only with warmth._

 _"If you want me too… yeah." Callen replied swallowing as he realised what he was saying, what he was doing, and just what he was putting on the line. As he realised just what he was risking to be able to stay with this man. He was risking the him he had become._

 _"Oh I want you too. I really want you to, G." Deeks replied before jumping up and moving around the table and pulling the older man into his arms and kissing him deeply. Saying with that action just how much it meant to him that G was staying, that they were going to be more than just some holiday romance, soon forgotten when G returned to his life and his job. He couldn't believe that the other man was doing this, that he was giving up what he had now, for what they could have in the future. It was a leap of faith that Deeks could only admire, and swore to himself that he would do everything in his power to make worthwhile._

 _When they finally came up for air Deeks couldn't remove his arms from around G. Instead he rested his forehead against the older mans as he spoke in a quiet voice, the fear he had been holding in for too long. "I'm so glad I don't have to say goodbye."_

 _"Me too Marty, me too." Callen muttered as he breathed out a deep sigh of relief. He wasn't going to lose the light, he wasn't going to lose who he had become, who Marty had helped him become. And standing there, with his arms around the detective he swore to himself that he would do everything he could to be the man Marty deserved. And he would make sure that the darkness of his other life, his job, never touched the younger man. He would not lose him to the horrors of the world._


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello my darlings. I would like to thank LKK (Guest), honus47, anonkp, French fan (Guest), elsje1967, kirallie and Petunia3116 for all the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **So here is the next chapter, I hope you like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

By the time Deeks had finished talking his voice was going horse and darkness had settled over Los Angeles. His phone which had been vibrating on and off the whole time he was here was finally still as well. The silence that settled over the four occupants of the hospital room was therefore only broken by the continuous beeping of the machines keeping G Callen alive. Reminding them all of why they were there, and bringing them all out of the thoughts Deeks' words had caused in them all.

"That's quite a story." Hetty finally said, smiling at the younger man in a gentle, motherly way. She was seeing a new side of Callen through the detective's eyes, and she was loving every minute of it. She had always known that the other Callen existed, but try as she might, she had never been able to bring him into the light. Not the way Martin Deeks had somehow managed in only two weeks. He was a miracle, and everything she had ever wished for, for the young man she had taken under her wing when he was only fifteen.

"Yeah it is." Sam snorted, though his comment was filled with scepticism as if a story was all he believed it to be. There was no way G would trust a stranger enough in two weeks to decide to move to a new job and a new city just for him. I mean it had taken him months to just get G to give him the time of day. If it had taken him that long, then there was no way G would have given in to this kid any easier. In fact he was sure it would take a hell of a lot longer. Not to mention he still wasn't sure that G actually swung that way. He had never seen any proof of it if he did at any rate.

"Mr Hanna, are you not expected at home? I am sure Michelle and the children would like to see you, as well as learn how Mr Callen is doing." Hetty said before Deeks could respond to Sam's tone. She could see in the detective's eyes that he was getting to the point where he would not stand Sam any longer, could not be in his presence. And Mr Deeks was the one with the right to be in this room. She did not want to have to have him removed because he fought with Mr Hanna. So it would be for the best for all of them if her agent left.

"I'm fine." Sam replied with a smirk at the cop, daring him to do something about him being there. Daring him to try and have him removed.

"Mr Hanna, please. Go home. You have a lot of work to do tomorrow, we must find the one responsible for Mr Callen's injuries." Hetty interrupted in her firm voice that Sam knew better than to argue with. And he liked the idea that he would be the one looking for G's killer, not the cop who seemed to think he had a right to be by G's side.

"Okay. I'll go. But Hetty, call me if anything chances." He finally said, after staring at Deeks telling him without words what would happen to him if he did anything to endanger his partner.

"I will inform you. Goodnight Mr Hanna." Hetty replied in frim dismissal. She needed him gone so she could concentrate on Mr Deeks. He was her first priority right now, other than Mr Callen of course. But there was little she could do for her boy right then. All she could do was make sure the man he loved was there for him when he awoke, there and ready to listen to what he had to say. Ready to try and fix whatever Callen's lies had broken in their relationship.

"Goodnight Hetty. See you tomorrow G." Sam responded ignoring the other man completely as he walked out of the door and down the corridor. Hetty was right, he did need to go home, he had a lot to talk to micelle about, and it included this crazy delusion that G was in a relationship with that surfer-bum kid.

* * *

Once Sam left Deeks felt his shoulders sag in relief. The guy was all kinds of wound tight, and he really wasn't sure how much more he could take of the glares and disbelieving glances. At least now it was just him, G and Henrietta. And while he didn't know her, he knew he could trust her. Because G had told him he could… or though, thinking about it, maybe that was just another lie to add to all the others. Damn it. He was so confused right then. Trying to figure out the fact from the fiction that was his life with the man who was unconscious in the bed before him. Because while he now knew it was all lies, he couldn't feel it was all lie. The love he had for the other man was still as strong, though now there was a good load of hurt and confusion thrown in as well. And he couldn't make himself believe that G could fake the feelings he had shown for him for so long. So did that mean G did love him too? And if so, where did that leave them?

It was all too much to try and work out right then. The thoughts and feelings crashing against each other in his mind whenever he tried. Therefore rather than thinking or speaking he pulled out his phone to see who it was who had been trying to contact him. He couldn't stop the groan that came out of his mouth when he saw he had 37 missed calls from his lieutenant. That was not good. He would be lucky if he still had a job to go back to after that number of calls.

"If you need to call them back, I will stay with Mr Callen." Hetty said quietly in response to the groan she heard from the younger man. She had sensed his need for silence and had granted it happily, up until that point.

Deeks thought about her suggestion. He did need to call his boss and let him know what had happened, and let him know he wouldn't be coming back to work any time soon. But he wasn't sure about leaving G's side. What if something happened while he was gone? And did he really trust Henrietta to do what was right if anything did? turning he stared into her eyes, trying to read them, trying to see what G really meant to her, but all he could see was kindness and caring. There was no ulterior motives in them that he could see, and she was G's other next of kin. He would have to trust her some time right? I mean G did, so... he could too. Right?

"Go. We will be fine." Hetty said softly when she could see that he was waving. That he was considering the idea of leaving her alone with her boy. She wanted some time with Callen, needed some time to apologise for spanner she had thrown into his life while he was unable to defend himself. Wanted some time to tell him how much she liked his love.

"Okay. I won't be long." Deeks finally agreed, turning and giving G a gentle kiss on the lips before he stood and with a squeeze of his hand let go, turning towards the door without looking back.

* * *

Hetty sat there staring at the unmoving man in the bed for a few moment before she stood to push her chair closer to him so she could take his hand. "I can see why you love him. He is very special. And I am sorry that I had to tell him, but you know, you should not have kept him in the dark. Martin deserved to hear the truth from you not me. But enough of that. There will be plenty of time later for me to tell you I told you so. For now I need to you get better my boy. I do not like seeing you like this… you are scaring me, and you don't want to scare me do you Callen?" She asked softly, using her other hand to gently thread through his hair as she used to do when he was a boy and having nightmares that she could never seem to wake him from.

"He loves you so very much doesn't he? Your young man. I confess I have been spying on the two of you for years, though I doubt you would be too surprised to hear that. You do know me far too well for comfort some times. I remember when I first worked out what it was that had changed you so much, changed you for the better I hasten to add. When I first watched the pair of you on the beach, him teaching you to surf and laughing every time you tried to stand and fell off. Gone was the man I had learnt to know, the one who would have walked away from him at that moment. In his place was a man who laughed in return. Who then pulled his teacher off his board and into his arms." Hetty pulled her eyes back from the faraway view of the past and turned back to the unmoving figure in front of her as she continued.

"You are perfect together, I saw it then, and I see it now. He is your light in the storm, your rock. Even learning your secrets, he has not left your side. Nor will he. He will be here for you when you wake, and he will be here to hear you tell your story, all of your story. I just wish… but wishes are for others are they not Mr Callen? We do not wish, we make the world safe for others, and we watch them live in it. Or I do. You have found a way to have the best of both your worlds haven't you? My clever boy. I am truly sorry that they had to collide in this way… When you are better, I will insist that you and Martin come round for many dinners, so I can get to know the man you love. So I can finally be a part of your other life." Hetty smiled as the images crossed her mind, of the three of them at Christmas and birthdays, celebrating together as a family. A real family, the one she had always wanted to be able to give him, but had never been able to achieve. But Callen had found it all by himself, and now, now she could be a part of it as well.

And Deeks standing the doorway watching her, rested his head against the frame. At least he had the answer to one of his questions. Henrietta was much more to G than just his boss. She loved him as a mother did. That sort of love couldn't be faked, not what he was seeing standing there listening to her uncensored monologue. He could trust her with the life of the man he loved, because she loved him too.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello my darlings. I would like to thank KBLFan, Scififan33, J (Guest), No1 DB (Guest), , honus47, Petunia3116, French fan (Guest) and Beststoriesever (Guest) for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **So I had a bit of a block with this, and had written a chapter I didn't really like. So I have re-written it and I think it's now much better. This is why it has taken me so long to update.**

 **Anyway as per usual the bits in italics are the past. I hope you like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

As soon as Deeks left ICU he called his lieutenant. He had no idea how the conversation was going to go, but it was better to get it over with. It rang only a couple of times before it was answered on the other end.

"Bates."

"Lieutenant." Deeks responded, but before he could say anything else the man on the other end spoke over him.

"Deeks? what the hell? Where are? Why did you leave like that?" Bates demanded. He had been trying to get a hold of his detective for hours before finally conceding defeat and stopping calling him. He was seriously pissed at the younger man, and he had better have a damn good reason for not answering his damn phone, or he would be out of a job quicker than he could say LAPD. Bates was not having this sort of insubordination on his team, not now, not ever. It didn't matter how damn good at his job detective Deeks was, there was a line, and the kid had not just crossed it, but run a mile on the other side of it.

"G's been shot." Deeks replied without any emotion in his voice. Saying those words made it all seem very, very real to him. Even more real than it had when he had seen G lying in bed fighting for his life. It suddenly hit him like a brick around the face. G had been shot. Forget the lies and secrets, that was the only thing in his mind right then. But however much he might want to break down, he knew he couldn't. Not while on the phone to his boss at any rate.

"Shit. How is he?" Bates asked doing a complete U-turn at the words. He knew about Deeks and Greg's relationship, hell he had even met the guy a few times. He would come to the Christmas parties when he was in town. He was a good guy, a bit guarded, and a lot quieter than Deeks, but still… a good guy. He could only imagine the pain his detective was going through right now, and he wanted to make sure he got all the support that the LAPD, and he, could offer.

"Critical but stable." Deeks answered simply, not being able to elaborate, because if he did, he knew he would break.

"Where did it happen?" Bates asked, realising Deeks' problem and deciding it best to stick to the case. He needed to find out who had it so he could take it off their hands. Greg was as close to one of his own as you could get, and he wanted his team on it.

"I have no idea." Deeks replied suddenly realising he knew very little about how G had gotten shot. Just that he had. He should probably try and get the story from Henrietta at some point, though in truth Sam would be the best one to ask. But the less he had to talk to that man the better in his mind.

"Don't worry. I'll call round the other precincts to see who has the case so we can take it over." Bates replied, already thinking about who he needed to call and what favours he would need to call in.

"No need lieutenant. Its NCIS's case." Deeks responded without thought. It didn't even cross his mind that maybe he shouldn't be telling Bates this. I mean if his boss was going to call round he would find out soon enough anyway right? He was just saving everyone time.

"What? Why's it theirs?" Bates asked confused now. As far as he knew Gregory Callen didn't have any connection to the navy, so why was it theirs? Was there someone else involved who did have a connection? Was that it?

"You ever heard of Henrietta Lange?" Deeks asked in a casual tone as he slumped back against the wall and stared up at the night sky. He wondered if Bates had, if he knew who she was and what it was her team did. If he knew anything about the double life the man he loved had been living for the last four years.

His words were greeted only by silence, letting him know that Bates knew more than he had done before today. He knew from the even breathing of his lieutenant that this was not the first time Bates had heard that name.

Bates, for his part, was working through all Deeks wasn't saying and coming to a conclusion that surprisingly didn't surprise him as much as he felt it should. Because now he thought about it, it made a whole lot of damn sense. But he needed to make sure his suspicions were correct.

"He one of hers?" He asked with a huff. The operations of special projects were a pain in his ass sometimes, with their covert operations interfering with the ones he ran.

"Yeah he is." Deeks nodded, not that Bates could see him. But he felt the need to confirm with more than just words. Making it more of a reality.

"Okay. I'll put in a call and offer our assistance, after all Greg is one of ours to. You go be with the man, leave the rest up to us." Bates responded. He couldn't take the case from them, but he could offer to help. Maybe if they worked together they would be able to find out who had harmed Gregory Callen.

"Thanks Bates." Deeks smiled at how easily his boss was offering his help. He hadn't expected it, but maybe he should have. He actually liked his lieutenant, which was saying something as he wasn't sure how much he liked the other people he worked with. Something that was definitely mutual.

"No need, take all the time you want, I'll sort it out with HR." Bates answered simply. He would make sure that Deeks would be covered to be with Greg, and help him get better.

With that Deeks hung up, a massive relief falling off his back at the knowledge that Bates would look out for his job while he concentrated on G. He didn't even think about the fact he had just told his boss exactly who it was his lover worked for, mainly because he really didn't care. So taking one more deep breath he turned around to return to G's room. But when he got to the doorway he heard Henrietta talking, and rather than announce his presence he stood there to listen. Wondering what it was she was saying to the man he loved. And he couldn't help but smile at the words and the picture she painted in his head of them all sitting down to dinner together, laughing and talking, a proper family. Yeah that was something he could get on board with… it was whether he could get over the fact G had lied to him for their whole relationship that was the issue.

He was over the intimal shock, and he knew there was very little he could do about anything until G awoke. There was no way he would get answers to the questions that burned in his mind until the one he wanted to answer them could do so. Therefore as Henrietta fell into silence he made his way into the room, grabbing a chair and placing it by G on the opposite side to the woman, so that they could both sit there holding the one they loved hand, willing him back to life.

"you know what G said to me to convince me to put you as one of my next of kin?" Deeks asked into the silence, wanting to show Henrietta just how much she meant to the man they loved. Wanting her to know that her feelings for G were returned.

"I'm your next of kin?" Hetty asked her eyebrows raising at this. It was the first she had heard of it.

"He didn't tell you? Why am I surprised about that? Just one more secret." Deeks muttered more to himself than to her, but with the quiet of the room she heard the words clearly and decided it best to get the young man away from that train of thought.

"What did he say Mr Deeks?"

Deeks pulled himself away from the thoughts of secrets and instead smiled as he remembered the conversation he and G had had about his next to kin. And with that smile he told the whole story to the woman sitting across from him. "It was three months after G moved to LA…"

* * *

 _Three years and nine months ago…_

 _It had been two months since he and G had both decided to stop with the pretence that the older man was looking for somewhere to live and staying with Deeks temporarily. Two months since they had admitted that they were actually living together out loud. And while he knew that some would say they were moving too fast, that they had skipped too many steps in the relationship ladder, they were the best two months of Deeks' life. But he knew it wouldn't last. Therefore when a take-down went wrong and he ended up being stabbed in the arm, he really wasn't that surprised. No what surprised him was what happened next._

 _Deeks was taken to the hospital and sewn up, and as he was waiting for his blood tests to come back and the doctors to give him the all clear, he realised he should probably call G. Let him know he was gonna be late home._

 _"Hey G. I'm gonna be late tonight." He said without preamble down the phone, a smile coming to his lips at the sound of the other man's voice. It always did that to him, made him feel happy and warm inside knowing he was there for him._

 _"Oh? Why?" Callen asked with a frown on his face as he walked towards the secret base of operations for NCIS OSP. He had hoped he and Marty could have a nice quiet evening together. He really wanted one of them._

 _"Well I'm in the hospital-" Deeks started to say, happy to tell Callen the tale, but before he could continue he found he was talking to thin air. What the hell? Why had Greg just hung up on him?_

 _He found out the answer 45 minutes later when a loud commotion at the end of the ER ward he was in caught his attention. Especially when he heard a very familiar voice growling at the staff. He couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle at his boyfriend's behaviour. He really could be far too protective in Deeks' mind. Surely as the cop, that was his job right? But hey, maybe it was because he was a cop G was like that. Maybe it was because he was always worried that one day he wouldn't come home. But that day was not today, so G really should calm down. With that thought in his head he called out to the other man, gaining his attention immediately as G hurried towards him._

 _"Marty, are you okay?" He asked his eyes raking over the younger man as he said the words, taking note of the bandaged arm in a sling but not seeing anything else._

 _"I'm fine G. Just a scratch." Deeks answered with his usual sunny smile causing Callen to breathe out a sigh of relief._

 _When Marty had told him he was in hospital his mind had obviously conjured up the worst possible reasons, he was glad to see they were not true. Or at least they better not be. With that thought Callen grabbed Marty's chart so he could check for himself that there really was nothing majorly wrong with the man he loved. The man who had brought so much goodness and light into his life. What he found did not ease his mind what-so-ever._

 _"Marty, why don't you have any next of kin listed?" He asked with a frown as he moved to sit on the bed with the other man so he could stare into his eyes._

 _"Umm, because I don't have any next of kin?" Deeks offered, even if that wasn't strictly true. But he knew how his mom would be if she was called about him. And he would not put her through that. She worried enough about his chosen career as it was._

 _"Try G. Callen." Callen replied glaring at the younger man as he held out the file and a pen. There was no way he would not want to be called if anything ever happened to his lover. There was no way he was going to be kept out of his room, nor that he would not have a say in how he was being treated. They lived together for god's sake, surely that qualified him as his Marty's next of kin right? Hmm, though following that train of thought he was going to have to add Marty's name to his own list._

 _"You want to be my next of kin? Seriously?" Deeks asked. It wasn't until then that it hit him that he was in a serious relationship. That he and G really were a real couple._

 _"Yeah, seriously. Tomorrow I'll add you as mine as well, okay?" Callen replied smiling his small quirky smile as the disbelief in Marty's voice. It was pretty cute how he hadn't realised just what he meant to him, even if he had moved to LA and changed his job just so he could be at his side._

 _"Okay… but what about when you're away?" Deeks asked hesitating as he went to write G's name down. They had only been together for a short time but already G had had to fly out to different places for conferences and things. He didn't see that changing any time soon either._

 _At that Callen thought for a moment, but there was only one name he could think of. Only one person who he knew would be there for Marty if he couldn't be. Only one person he trusted enough to let them be. So taking a deep breath he spoke. "Henrietta Lange."_

 _"And who is Henrietta Lange?" Deeks asked never having heard the name before. He wondered why it was G wanted him to put a stranger down as his next of kin, though she was obviously someone to G. But who?_

 _"The only person other than myself, I trust with your life." Callen replied with such sincerity that Deeks couldn't question it. Though he did think of many things he wanted to ask about this mysterious woman. But they could wait, so instead he filled out the form and handed it back to G just as the doctors returned to tell him he was free to go._

* * *

Hetty sat back after hearing the detective's story, smiling slightly at the feeling that was coursing through her as she thought over the words Callen had spoken to him. _The only person other than myself, I trust with your life._ She remembered that time, not that Mr Deeks had been in hospital, but that the next day Callen had come in and informed her that he wished to add a name to his next of kin. And told her about his relationship with the younger man, about how he had fallen in love.

"Thank you for telling me that." She said quietly before they both returned to silence.

It wasn't long before Deeks lowered his head onto the side of the bed and drifted off, though he still did not let go of G's hand.

Hetty on the other hand smiled at the two sleeping men as she quietly stood. Theirs truly was a love story she wanted to know all about, but there would be time for her to find out more. For now she needed to find the people responsible for putting her boy in hospital, and show them exactly what happens when they messed with her family.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello my dears. I would like to thank kirallie, J (Guest), honus47, Petunia3116, elsje1967, French fan (Guest) and Beststoriesever (Guest) for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **So, a lot of you have asked if Callen will be waking up soon, and the answer is: I'm not sure. Originally I planned this to follow the time line of NCIS where in the episode following Legends, Gibbs says Callen is still critical. So I think I'm going to have to see how it goes.**

 **Anyway time for a bit of Sam and Michelle I think. I hope you like this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

It was late when Sam finally got home, his kids had long been put to bed by his wife. But still there was a covered plate of food for him in fridge that made him smile. What had he done to get someone as good as Michelle? She was everything he needed, and she was always there for him. It was with these thoughts he pulled the food out and stuck it in the microwave to heat.

Michelle on the other hand stood in the doorway and silently watched her husband. She could feel the tension radiating off of him, but that was to be expected. His partner had been shot and was in the ICU. In fact she was surprised to see him home at all. She knew her husband, and she knew he took his role of partner seriously. He had been a SEAL after all. Leave no made behind and always have each other's backs. It was one of the things that had caused her to fall in love with him when they had worked that first mission together. His honour and commitment to those around him. So why was he here?

"How is G?" She asked as she moved into the room and pushed Sam down into a chair while she collected together cutlery for him and got him a beer.

"Stable." Sam responded with a sigh, not wanting her to know just how bad his partner was. Not wanting her to know he was worried about getting a call telling him that G had died when he wasn't there. He should be there. It should be him at his side not that surfer-bum ass whom he had never even known had existed until today. Damn it. He needed to calm down, he didn't want to tell Michelle all the shit that had gone on in the hospital room. He didn't want to burden her with messed up situation he just couldn't get his head around.

"That's good. Is Hetty with him?" Michelle asked frowning slightly at the one word response and how Sam had tensed. There was something else going on here, and she needed to find out what it was. Needed to find a way to help her husband so he could help his partner.

"Yeah." Sam replied, again with one word. Not wanting to say who else was there.

"Talk to me Sam." Michelle said gently as she placed the food in front of him and joined him at the table with a beer of her own.

But Sam did not reply, instead he turned resolutely to the food and started to shovel it into his mouth in the hopes he could use the fact it was full to not say anything more.

The two sat in silence, Michelle deciding to let him finish, no doubt he was hungry. When he was done her husband would talk, and if he didn't she would make him. Therefore when the plate was clean and Sam still didn't utter a word Michelle pulled out her stern voice, the one she used on the children and her husband with equal effect.

"Sam Hanna, don't you go hiding things from me."

At that Sam sighed. There was no way he could lie to his wife, and he knew she wouldn't stop until he told her what was worrying him. Best to get it over with. Therefore taking a deep breath he started to speak. "There was this guy…" but he found himself unable to finish the sentence, unable to tell her what that detective Deeks had said.

"Who? Did they try to harm G?" Michelle asked alarmed when Sam didn't continue. She could think of only one reason he would be resistant to telling her and that was that they had hurt G even more than he already was.

"No!" Sam responded immediately, not able to cope with his wife's worry. But when he turned and looked into her eyes he knew he was going to have to explain if he wanted to erase it all from her mind. Though maybe after he did she would have another type of worry. He sure did after all.

"He claimed to be his partner, his romantic partner. Hell he was even listed as his next of kin, but G doesn't swing that way. It has to be some kind of plot to get access to him while he's in hospital." Sam said quickly, revealing more of his thoughts than he had intended to.

At his words Michelle sat back. She had heard about G Callen long before he became her husband's partner. Heard about him when she was still with the agency. Therefore she knew more about him than her husband did, not that she ever told him or his partner that. It was one of the reasons she had been so happy when Sam had come home and told her who his new partner was. She had trusted G Callen on his reputation alone, that trust had only increased when she had actually met the guy. But for now she would continue in ignorance rather than contradicting Sam words about his sexual orientation. No, for now she decided to find out who knew what, and what she would need to do to as damage limitation.

"What did Hetty say about him being there?" She asked in a gentle yet guarded tone, glad that Sam was so worked up he didn't notice her falling into old habits of intel extraction.

"She confirmed what he was saying, but I still don't believe it. I mean maybe they tricked her somehow?" Sam replied turning to her with a begging look in his eyes. Almost as if he was hoping she would confirm his words so he could remove the other man from his partner's side and take what he considered his rightful place.

"Henrietta Lange? Tricked? Come on Sam." Michelle exclaimed. I mean she had heard some crazy theories in her time, but that one had to take the biscuit. She couldn't imagine anyone getting one over Henrietta Lange.

"But G isn't gay." Sam stated as if by saying the words it would make it true. I mean if he was, surely he would know right? G would have told him, right? You don't keep secrets like that from your partner. Sam wouldn't have cared. G could sleep with whoever he liked as long as it wasn't Michelle in his mind, so why wouldn't G tell him something that important?

"Maybe not, but from what I've seen he certainly wouldn't say no to certain men." Michelle replied with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. She knew that Callen had done ops where he had to get close to men as well as women, and she knew he really didn't care about a person's sex. But she was not going to tell that to her husband. She did not want him thinking everyone was against him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sam snapped. I mean this was G Callen. He had never seen any sign that he liked men, because obviously if he had this would not have come as such a shock to him would it?

"The way he looks at an attractive man as they pass him when we go out drinking, it's the same as you do when an attractive woman walks past." Michelle explained with a humorous smile on her lips. She just knew how Sam was going too responded to that sentence.

"I do not." Sam grumbled yet not being able to meet her eyes. He hated that she had caught him out.

"Please. You can't fool me agent Hanna, I'm former CIA." She responded with a good natured roll of her eyes. She knew nothing would ever come of the looks, I mean when a hot guy walked past her she wasn't above checking out his ass. It didn't mean anything.

"but G-" Sam started to say, trying to think of a convincing argument that would declare G as straight, but he was interrupted before he could go any further.

"Is open to both sexes, trust me." Michelle stated with complete certainty. She was surprised that Sam hadn't worked that out for himself, I mean he was an observant man, he had to be in his line of work.

"But Deeks is so…" Sam replied spitting out the name as if he was talking about the devil himself. He really did not like that damn guy.

"What? What's wrong with this guy that has you so pissed Sam? or is it that G didn't tell you about him?" Michelle asked without preamble cutting right to the heart of the issue her husband was having. Sam was all about trust. It was the most important thing to him. He needed to have complete trust in his partner for it to work. Yet here he was, finding out about a side of G he had never known. It was bound to cause worry and doubts in his mind, which would always manifest themselves as anger in her husband.

"He looks like a surfer bum, even if he claims to be a cop. I don't care. There is no way-" Sam argued refusing to even consider what his wife was saying could be the reason behind his discontent. No it was all that damn detectives fault.

"If Hetty says its true, and he is G's next of kin, don't you think you should consider the possibility that it's real?" Michelle interrupted in an exasperated tone. She loved Sam, she really did. But that did not mean he didn't irritate the hell out of her on occasion. This was become such a time.

"But…" Sam tried again, but looking into his wife's eyes he thought better of it. He would prefer not being made to sleep on the couch that night because of this. Though it would just be another thing he could level against Detective Martin Deeks.

"You don't want G to be pissed at you when he wakes because you haven't accepted his partner do you?" Michelle asked changing direction swiftly. Trying to find a way so that when he next visited G he would be at least polite to his lover. She did not want Sam have to cope with how G would respond if he woke up from his coma and found out his partner had behaved in any way other than cordial.

"What? Of course not." Sam replied with a frown, wondering what it was she was getting at. I mean how could G be pissed at? They were partners.

"Then…" Michelle responded hoping he would see where she was coming from. Hoping he would think how he would responded if he was G and he woke to find his partner hadn't accepted his wife just because he had never told him about her. Though of course that was the major problem. Sam would never not tell G about her. It wasn't in him to lie to the one who had his back like that.

"I just… I can't believe he didn't tell me. I mean he knows about you and the kids, yet I find out he has a whole secret life. That he has someone he loves and he didn't trust me enough to tell me about him." Sam replied in a defeated tone, vocalizing her point. Sam found it very hard to understand G, even she did and she had been in the same line of work.

"Oh Sam. This is G Callen we're talking about. The tribe of one. He is the definition of secretive." Michelle answered in a gentle tone, hoping to help him see it from his partner's point of view.

"Well I suppose at least I know I'm not the only one kept in the dark." Sam sighed. Okay he had always known G was secretive. It was one of the things which irritated him the most about the man, but he had come to accept it. Or at least he thought he had, until this latest revelation.

"What do you mean?" Michelle asked frowning now. He had said that Hetty had known, so who else was G keeping in the dark? Or more to the point, who was close enough to him that Sam was feeling they were the equivalent of him not knowing.

"It seems he never told the love of his life what he did for a living. Deeks believed he was a securities trader, can you believe that? They're together for four years, yet G doesn't find the time to tell him the truth. I mean that alone makes me think that he doesn't love him as much as Deeks claims he does." Sam replied with renewed thoughts that maybe it wasn't as serious Deeks made it out to be. Maybe G didn't love the guy any more. It happened after all right? People fell out of love all the time. Maybe he had just stayed with him because it was a convenient cover story?

"Maybe he just didn't want to worry him, or maybe he was scared that if he told him the truth he would lose the person he loved." Michelle snapped back without missing a beat. Because she was sure if G Callen was in an actual relationship there was no way he didn't love the person he was with. And it really did not surprise her that he hadn't told the other man what it was he did for a living. The life of a spy was dark and murky, who didn't want something clean and normal to come home to?

Sam tried to think of something to say to counter that argument, but he couldn't help but think that that sounded just like something his partner would do. That he would worry about losing the person he loved if he ever found out the truth, especially now he knew how they got together. But if he believed that then he was going to have to believe that Deeks and G were together. That he had been in the wrong earlier, and he wasn't completely sure he was ready to do that. He wasn't sure he was ready to give up his place at G's side to the punk ass kid detective who knew nothing about what his partner had gone through.

Michelle saw the look on her husband's face, and knew he was at least now starting to think about what she said. It was the best she could hope for and therefore decided to change the subject to normal family things. Though she did hope that she would get a chance to meet the man who had captured G Callen's heart. Because she was pretty sure he was going to be something very special, even if her husband couldn't see it yet. She was sure he would, eventually. And at least she hoped he would be civil to the guy, she really didn't want him to make G choose sides when he woke. Because she knew exactly which side he would take. The side of the one he loved, and she didn't want Sam to lose the man he considered a brother.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello my darlings. I would like to thank Petunia3116, Guest, kirallie and French fan (Guest) for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **To answer the question posed in a review, yes Michelle is ex-CIA in the show as well as here. I'm trying to stick to it as much as I can. So here is the next chapter, it's a bit angsty but I hope you like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

When Sam entered Callen's hospital room the next morning, deciding to check on him before work in the hopes that he would find him alone, he found himself disappointed. Because there, asleep with his head on the bed was none other than detective Deeks. He briefly thought that no doubt the guy was gonna have major backache when he woke up. That position was no doubt extremely uncomfortable. But it was an abstract thought, and not one he really cared about. Instead he stood in the doorway wondering if he should enter or sneak off so he wouldn't have to talk to the guy. He still wasn't sure any of what he was saying was true. Still thinking that maybe it was some cover or something, some elaborate case G had been working without his knowledge. But then he remembered Michelle's words, and he could hear her in the back of his head nagging him to be nice, that he didn't want to alienate G in the remote chance that this was as Deeks said it was. Just in case this was real.

* * *

Deeks woke suddenly, feeling eyes on him, sitting up with a wince as the muscles in his back pulled he turned towards the door, his hand already going to the gun which was still at his side. But when he saw Sam standing there he decided it would be best for both of them if he just pretended he didn't see him. Therefore turning back to the man lying unconscious on the bed he moved so he could give him a kiss on the corner of his mouth. The only bit he could reach without dislodging any of the tubes that G was connected up to.

"Morning G. You gonna wake up for me today?" He asked gently stroking his fingers through his hair and down his jaw where he could feel the beginning of stubble forming. He sat there and stared at him a moment longer hoping that he would once again see those beautiful blue eyes he loved so much. But G's lids stayed resolutely closed and the monitors continued on the slow bleeping, letting him know that while his partner was alive, he was not going to wake up any time soon. Therefore he really couldn't put it off any longer. He needed to speak to the man hovering in the doorway, however much he didn't want to.

"What you doing here agent Hanna?" He asked spitting the name out. This was the man who hadn't had G's back after all. He was the one to blame for him being in hospital.

"I came to see how my partner was. You got a problem with that?" Sam replied with a growl in his voice at the hostility aimed at him, causing him to walk boldly into the room and stand on the opposite side of the bed to Deeks. This guy had no right to be this way, if anyone was the injured party here it was him. He was the one G had never shared his secret life with.

"More than one. You're the reason he's here." Deeks responded turning to glare at the other man as his hand tightened around G's. Though when he realised what he was doing he forced himself to relax. It wouldn't look good if he broke the bones in it. He did not want to get kicked out of the hospital for abusing his partner while he was in a coma now did he?

"Your right. I am the reason he's here. Because of me, he didn't bleed out on the sidewalk. Because of me he has a chance of coming back. So yeah, I damn glad I'm the reason he's here." Sam snapped back deciding he had had enough of this. This guy could claim G loved him, hell he could claim they lived together, but he would not stand there and let him claim he had let G get hurt.

"What the hell you talking about? He was injured on a case, right?" Deeks asked suddenly wondering how true that was. He actually had no idea what had happened after all. Hmm, had he jumped to conclusions when he had seen Sam at G's bedside? But it they weren't working, then just what were they doing together?

At that Sam sat in the chair which was still left from when Hetty had been there the night before.

"No. we'd just finished and I was dropping him off by his apartment in Venice when a van came out of nowhere and a gun man shot at him. I ran to his side and kept pressure on the wounds as best I could as I call for an ambulance." He replied in an even tone, as if he was giving a report. As if he couldn't see once more the van come round the corner and the door sliding open in slow motion as he watched G raise his hand in a wave to someone across the street.

Deeks sat there with his mouth open. He had no idea that that was what had happened, and maybe, just maybe, he had been a bit harsh with Sam. But that didn't mean he had to like the guy. It was then one thing he had said registered in his mind causing him to frown.

"What do you mean, his apartment in Venice? We don't live in Venice." He asked in confusion, it made no sense to him.

"Well G does. I've been even been to his place." Sam replied smugly, finding something else in Deeks story that didn't tally with what he knew about his partner. Because he had been to G's place, not that there was anything really there apart from his bag and bedroll, but it was G's home. He knew that much. This guy really needed to get his story straight if he was going to try and bamboozle him.

"G has an apartment in Venice?" Deeks asked in a quiet voice. Not that he really wanted an answer, he was too busy thinking. His mind whirling away in his head. Because he knew that the main reason people had a place other than the one they lived in with their partner, was so they could have an affair. Be with some else. Was that why G had another home? Was that where he took other lovers while he, Deeks, was sitting waiting patiently at home for him? Did G really have to take all those trips abroad as he said he did, or were they just a convenient excuse so that he could be with his other sexual partners? Did G love him at all?

Sam had sat there looking pretty smug as he stared at Deeks. He had even been about to respond, telling him the other apartments G had had in the time he had known him. But as he opened his mouth to speak he saw the colour drain from the other man's face and a haunted look of pain to fill his eyes. It was then that it hit him. How would he feel if he found out that Michelle had another home she hadn't told him about? What would he think gaining that news? How would he feel if all these secrets had come out about her, making him question everything he thought he knew? It wasn't like Deeks could ask G about it now could he? And for the first time Sam forgot to be pissed at this guy who had usurped his position at G's side and started to feel a little bit sorry for the guy. Feel a little of what he was going through if all he said was true. If he really did love G Callen and G really did love him back.

"It needs to be checked, I can go-" Sam started to say and for the first time his voice held nothing but a normal tone. It was even maybe slightly gentle as he spoke. It wasn't Deeks fault G had lied after all, was it?

"No. I'll do it." Deeks interrupted. It may kill him, but the not knowing would be worse. He needed to know what G kept there, just how much of another life G had. And just how many secrets the man he loved had chosen not to share.

"Okay. I'll stay with G." Sam replied pulling out a pen and writing down the address for the younger man, holding it out like a peace offering. He knew it should really be checked by someone from NICS, but he was sure he could have a look round once Deeks was done. He would let the guy have that much. He just hoped he was doing the right thing. That it wasn't some set up to try and get to G, but surely if it was, Deeks would have made his move by now. He had been alone with his partner all night after all. And G was not in any way harmed.

"Yeah." Deeks nodded, still not sure what was going through his mind as he stood staring down at the man he loved for a good few moments before turning, taking the paper and walking out of the room without a backwards glance. It was time for him to find out if G Callen had broken his heart in more ways than he had done already. See if he had broken them in a way that Deeks knew could never be repaired.

He made it all the way outside the hospital before he broke, collapsing back against the wall as a sob escaped his throat at the thoughts of what he might find circled in his mind. He wondered if this was why Sam had been so hostile towards him, because he knew G didn't love him at all? And as he thought that, the memory of the first time those words were spoken by G rose in his mind. It had always been his happiest time, the best memory. But now he couldn't help but find to clouded with shadows and pain, and a wondering if G had meant it at all.

* * *

 _Three years and six months ago…_

 _It was six months into their relationship. And they had been a good six months, even if they had gone a few weeks without seeing each other. They were still good. And now was the best of all, because they were finally able to have a nice relaxing evening together. It was nothing really special, just the two of them curled up on the couch watching TV and eating take-out. But to both the men involved it was their idea of perfection._

 _Deeks wasn't sure what made him say it, whether it was the relaxed atmosphere as he snuggled up closer to the man whose arms he was lying in, or whether it was that for once his mind had stopped thinking due to the couple of beers he had had. Whatever it was he didn't even consider stopping the words as the fell from his lips._

 _"I love you G." He muttered. Though as soon as he finished he could feel the man behind him tense and he wondered if he had done the right thing. He had been falling in love with G since the moment they met, but this was the first time he had said the words. He thought that maybe it was too soon, maybe G didn't feel the same way about him. Therefore he tried to pull away, tried to sit up and turn to the older man so he could see if he could take them back. Do some damage control so he did not lose the best thing to ever happen to him. But he found his movements restricted but the arms which were still holding him tight. Tighter than they had been holding him before he had spoken. Oh crap, just what had he done?_

 _Callen on the other hand was fighting for his breath. He couldn't believe the words Marty had spoken, couldn't believe that they could possibly be true. Because how could a man who lived so much in the light, had so much goodness in him, possibly love a man like him? How could Marty love him when he had such a darkness inside? It was then he knew two things for certain. One he loved Marty Deeks with all his heart, and two he could never let his darkness ever show to this wonderful man in his arms. He could never tell him the truth about what he did day in and day out. Could never let him see that side of him. Because if he did he would lose that which Marty had just gifted him. His heart. Therefore taking a deep breath and pulling Marty closer so he nuzzled into his hair he spoke so quietly that had he not been so close to the younger man's ear, Deeks would never have heard his words._

 _"I love you too Marty, with all my heart, I love you."_

 _At that Deeks felt his whole world expand in joy. Everything inside him exploded in happiness. G loved him back, he wasn't the only one feeling this connection between them. He wasn't alone in loving the other. It was more than he could ever imagine and yet it was everything he had wanted. With that he turned in G's arms moving so he could place a gentle, sweet,_ _ **loving**_ _, kiss on his lips. Showing him how much his words had meant to him._

 _It was a kiss that Callen returned with equal love and not a little reverence at how amazing the man he had was. At how amazing it was to finally know how it felt to be loved for who he was, and not what he could be or what he did. But just for him. To be loved as G Callen, not special agent, or an undercover alias, just him, just G._

* * *

Deeks pulled himself out of the memory and ran his arm cross his cheeks to remove the tears tracked that were there due to his outpouring of unsurety, the outflow caused from all he had learnt since he had arrived at the hospital to be with his partner. The uncertainty he how felt about the relationship he had always believed to be a solid foundation to build his life on. He then stood and turned towards his car. He needed to go and see G's other apartment, needed to find out just who it was he had fallen in love with, and find out if he really was loved back. If he ever had been. It was time to find some answers and not wallow in confusion anymore.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello my darlings. I would like to thank anonkp, Petunia3116, French fan (Guest) and Scififan33for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update. You are all awesome.**

 **Anyway here is the next chapter, I hope you like it. A lot of Deeks introspection. And as per usual the bits in italics are memories.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

Deeks made it all the way to parking his car a block from the address Sam had given him. But he couldn't make himself open the door and walk towards it. Something was holding him back. A fear at what he could find ringing in his mind and freezing his body. He knew he should get it over with, just do it and see if his thoughts of G having an affair were true of not. But he couldn't. Because right then, at that moment in time, there was still a chance that it wasn't true. There was still a chance in his mind that G did love him, had always loved, and even had a damn good excuse for all the secrets he had kept from him.

But if he went to that apartment, went inside and discovered some sort of bordello-esque setting, then all his dreams would be shattered. All he held true and dear would disappear in smoke and he would never be able to get it back. He would never be able to return to G's side, be with him again. Because he would have lost his trust in the man he loved with all his heart. And that was something he knew that would never return, not after everything. No, if he found out G had cheated on him? That really would be the straw that broke the camel's back. Would be the end of the best thing he had ever had in his life.

"Oh god." He whispered into the silent car. He could feel his stomach turning as his mind offered unhelpful images of the man he loved with unnamed others. He needed to get out of the car.

Wrenching the door open he stumbled out, not paying any attention to where he was going as he walked forwards, trying to simultaneously stop his mind and keep down the little food he had eaten in the last 24 hours.

It wasn't until he stumbled, falling to his knees that he noticed he was no longer on the sidewalk but on the beach, the sand soft and smooth beneath his fingers, giving him nothing to grip onto as he clenched his fists against the pain inside him. At the confusion and grief and all the other things he had refused to allow himself to feel since turning up at the hospital and discovering G was not the man he had always thought him to be.

When the feelings retreated somewhat, giving him enough space to breathe now he had allowed them to wash over him. He could finally hear the one thing he had always found to be comforting to him. The sound of wave's relentless pounding upon the shore. A never-ending repetition of the movement of the ocean, washing away that which it deposited the time before. He raised his head from where it had been hanging and stared out at the blue, stared out at the people who were lying on surfboards waiting for their ride back to shore. Stared out at the kids running with buckets and squealing as the cold water raced towards them. Stared out at the happy calming scene of life moving on while he broke, and finally, finally, for the first time since Sam had told him about G's apartment, his mind cleared and allowed other thoughts in. Thoughts that did not contain betrayal or lies.

His mind came back to life. The detective in him woke up and for the first time he considered other possibilities. For the first time he could detract himself from his emotional involvement and see things from a different perspective.

It was then that it hit him. G had been living a double life, he had been keeping him, Marty Deeks a secret from those he worked with. A secret from his partner who considered him a friend. Sam words returned to his mind _"I've even been to his place_." G needed a home that wasn't theirs. Somewhere he could take his colleagues, his friends, so they never found out about who he was with. An apartment that no doubt everyone, with the exemption of Hetty he guessed, thought of as the home of G Callen.

It didn't hurt any less to see the possibility of the lengths G had gone to to keep him hidden, but it did give him the strength to stand. Because now he had another option, another possibility to hold on to when he visited G Callen's home. Something to give him some little hope that maybe, just maybe, there was a possibility that their relationship had not been broken beyond repair.

It was the new possibility that gave him the strength to turn towards the apartment building, to walk with confidence, and even smile at those around him. Though the latter he did more because on one side he was trying to blend in, and on the other he wanted to make sure no one was watching him. No one was staking out G's home in an attempt to finish what they had started with the drive-by.

It wasn't until he found himself at the apartment door that he found the small issue with his plan. The door was locked and he didn't have a key. Damn it. It was probably in with G's personal items, but they had been taken by Hetty back to NCIS headquarters. The same way any personal items of a shooting victim were always taken by those investigating it. But that really didn't help him now. Oh he knew he could call Hetty and ask her to bring him the key, he knew she would, hopefully, but he really didn't want her around when he first entered this place. He didn't want anyone to see what was on the other side of this door. Of course he knew that thought was irrational, I mean Sam had already told him he had been here, but that didn't stop Deeks thinking it.

It was then he had an idea. It probably wasn't the best one, but it was all he could come up with. Therefore trying to act normal, he found the bobby pin he kept on his belt. He mainly did it so if he ever got caught when undercover he could get out of handcuffs. Not that he had ever used it, nor in fact had it been his idea to carry it, but he did.

Of course as soon as he had it hand he remembered just whose idea he was, and the conversation that had caused him to always keep one close.

* * *

 _Two years and ten months ago…_

 _Deeks was in seven heaven. He had just been confirmed as an undercover cop, finished his training and tomorrow he would get first assignment. His first chance of being someone else and getting away from the stares of the other detectives in the department. Get away from the talk about his previous partners untimely death. No, best not to think about that, ever again if he could help it._

 _Therefore turning his mind back to his new status within the LAPD he found he couldn't keep the smile, nor the relief, off his face as he opened the front door of the apartment he shared with the man he loved._

 _"Hey G you home?" He shouted as he closed the door. He really hoped he was, he wanted to share his news. His partner knew how hard he had been working so he could make the move to undercover, even if he didn't exactly approve of it._

 _"In the living room. I've ordered pizza, if you want some." Came back G's reply as he put down the book he had been reading and turned towards the entrance. He always loved seeing Marty, and found it very hard to keep his eyes off of his man. The man he had been with for over a year now. The man who still managed to amaze him and make him feel the light and goodness he had in his heart. A heart Marty was still happily sharing with him. It had even gotten to the point where Callen was no longer waiting for the other shoe to drop and just accepting his good-fortune._

 _Of course he hadn't been happy when he returned from an op in Eastern Europe to find Marty's bastard of a partner had been shot dead by some prostitute and Marty had decided to become an undercover cop. No that really hadn't sat well with him. He didn't want Marty to see that darkness, but however hard he tried, he couldn't persuade the younger man to not do it. It had been their only real fight in their time together and Callen had soon found himself relenting, backing off and offering Marty his support._

 _He couldn't lose him, even if he knew what danger he would be putting himself in. At least it was only in LA. It wasn't like he had gone off and joined some federal agency, or agreed to find terrorists or anything like that. Anything like the shit Callen himself did on a daily basis. At least in LA he knew Deeks wouldn't be in as much danger as he could be in a different country. Though that was mainly because he knew that in LA, Callen could always find a way to save him. There would be no jurisdiction issues in that case if Marty ever got caught. But still, he wished Marty wouldn't do this. Or if he had to, that he could give him all the advice he had accumulated through years of undercover work._

 _"Yeah sounds good." Deeks replied smiling at his partner, completely unaware of the thoughts going through G's head. He knew he wasn't gonna be too happy with his news, that he was going on his first assignment the next day. But after the initial anger, G had agreed with his decision to move to undercover. He would just have to convince G that he was gonna be okay. That he would be in no greater danger that he was as a detective, even if he knew that wasn't exactly true. He needed to do this, he wanted to do this. And he was glad the man he loved and seen that and had, well maybe not understood, but relented enough to agree to his decision._

 _"Why are you so happy Marty?" Callen asked smiling back at him, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer. It was the day he had been dreading ever since Marty had started his training._

 _"I got signed off as an undercover today." Deeks replied, moving to sit on the couch with G and slip into his arms so he could give him a gentle kiss in the hopes of stopping him from saying anything bad about his news._

 _"Congrats Marty, I know how much you wanted this." Callen replied still smiling though inside champing at the bit to try and find out how he could share some tricks of the trade without revealing how he knew. It was then his latest mission came back to him, and the darkest point of it reared its ugly head. He never wanted Marty to be in the position he had been in. But how to say it? Then it came to him._

 _"You know, I was reading this spy novel the other day, and in it the guy got caught and handcuffed to pipe. No one was coming as he was on a deep-cover op, but he had a bobby pin on his belt. He managed to get out of the cuffs and escape, making sure the intel he gathered got back to his superiors." It was a very abbreviated description of what had happened, and it missed out all the not so good parts, but it was a start of things he could offer to the man he loved to help him survive what was to come._

 _"Okay. What's a novel got to do with me becoming an undercover cop, G?" Deeks asked with a chuckle as he relaxed back into the older man's arms. He was pretty sure he knew the answer, and he had a feeling that G was going to be reading a lot of spy novels from now one. No doubt trying to foist the ideas from them upon him to keep him safe. It was rather adorable, but they were just stories. Things like that never happened in real life._

 _"Well I was just thinking that maybe you should do as he did. Keep a bobby pin on your belt." Callen suggested with a shrug, though he was already planning and thinking. He knew Marty wouldn't take his suggestion seriously, but it had saved his life more than once. Therefore he would have to make it so Marty did as he did. He would find a way._

 _"G, it's just a book. Fiction. Nobody does that in real life." Deeks replied turning in his arms so he could cup the other man's cheeks in his hands and stare into his eyes. Trying to say without words that he was gonna be fine. That he didn't have to worry, but he knew he would. It was who G was, he always worried about him. It was one of the things Deeks loved the most about the man he had decided to spend the rest of his life with. The man who held his heart._

 _"I just don't want you to get caught and have no way out." Callen responded gently, smiling into the blue eyes which always held a sparkle. He hoped against hope that Marty's new career wouldn't remove that from them. He wasn't sure what he would do if it did. Probably kill everyone who ever touched his man. Hmm, probably not the best plan to consider mass murder when staring into the eyes of a cop. But he was his cop, and he wasn't going to let anyone destroy who he was._

 _"Yeah well, I'll have my handler backing my up. I'll be fine G." Deeks sighed. They had had this sort of conversation more times than he could remember, but at least they had got past the shouting, or more truthfully the angry glares and dangerous glint in G's eyes that had been there when he had first mentions his plan. Yeah that look was one he never wanted to see again in the eyes of the man he loved. Though even now he could see a slight lurk of it at the back of G's mind. Something primal that reminded him of the man who had managed to take out two massive men without breaking a sweat, even though he was seriously injured, when they had first met. Something that made him wonder just how well he knew the man he loved._

 _"You'd better be." Callen muttered, trying, and failing to keep the growl out of his voice. He couldn't lose Marty. And no matter what else happened in his life, that was the only truth he held onto. It was the truth that always made him fight to come home. He just hoped he could give Marty the same strength as the younger man gave him._

* * *

 _The next morning Deeks woke to find G was already up and out of bed. Not that he was that surprised the guy hardly ever slept late. So humming to himself he made his way into the kitchen, where G was busy making coffee._

 _"Morning." He mumbled as he wrapped his arms around the one he loved more than anything else in the world._

 _"Are you sure it still is? I'm thinking it's more afternoon now." Callen replied cheekily as he turned to give Marty a quick kiss before pushing him away so he could finish the coffee._

 _"Be nice G." Marty whined. He could smell the caffeine, it was so close at hand, he needed it. Badly._

 _"Always. Oh, I have something for you." Callen responded casually as he handed a cup to Marty and with his other hand he pulled out a pack of 20 bobby pins from his back pocket, holding them out to the Marty with a big smile on his face._

 _"Seriously?" Deeks asked with a laugh, but he took them anyway. If it would make G feel better when he went undercover to know he had a bobby pin with him, then there was no way he could say no to the guy._

 _Therefore than morning when he was dressed for work and was clipping on his badge and gun, he pulled one of the pins from the packet and pushed in onto his belt, within easy reach._

 _"There happy?" He asked showing G exactly where it was and that he was carrying it as he wanted him to._

 _"Very. Be careful Marty." Callen replied pulling the younger man into his arms and kissing him fiercely. If this was all he could do for now, then it was at least a start._

 _"You know me. See you later G." Deeks said with a wink and a smirk as he walked away from the other man, leaving him in the kitchen as he headed off for work and the first assignment of his new career._

* * *

Deeks pulled himself out of the memory but he couldn't help but wonder if the story from the spy novel G had told him had actually been something he himself had done. If he was trying to share some of his undercover wisdom with him. And he briefly wondered if there had been any more conversations like that. Ones he couldn't remember because they didn't rate in his mind, due to the fact that the advice on how to do his job was coming from his securities trader boyfriend. But he couldn't think of any off the bat, and now was not the time to ponder it, nor to cringe at how dismissive he had been to someone who knew so much more than he did about the career he had chosen.

Instead he quickly took a look up and down the corridor, hoping no one had seen him just standing there staring at his hands. He noticed a blonde girl standing at the end near to the stairs. But when he turned his head to her with a smile, thinking about maybe speaking to her to see what she could tell him about the G Callen that had lived here, she quickly looked away and moved on. It was almost as if she was hurrying away from him. Almost as if she was scared of what he would do to her now he had seen her. But hey, this wasn't the nicest building, he doubted people were friendly here like the one he lived in. Therefore putting the blonde girl from his mind he turned to frown at the lock in front of him. He hoped he could do this. But only one way to find out. With that thought he stuck his tongue between his teeth and pulled the pin apart and inserted it into the lock. Time to find out what secrets were behind this door.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello my darlings. I would like to thank I Feel Possessed, GoldenEyes-65, Petunia3116, raspberry dreams and Guest for the wonderful reviews.**

 **So here is the next chapter, cos I don't think Deeks has had enough angst yet, lol. I really am being rather mean to him, sorry.**

 **Anyway I hope you like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

Deeks opened the door to the apartment and what confronted him was the last thing he would ever expect. Because it was not a decadently decorated room dedicated to sex, nor was it a regular livingroom that you would expect to find in most apartments. No it was in fact empty. His first thought as he closed the door behind him, was the idea that this was some kind of sick joke Sam was playing on him. Telling him that G had another home while sending him to an empty apartment so he could spend some time with his partner while Deeks himself wasn't there.

But even if that was the truth, he knew he couldn't just storm out and go and confront the guy. He needed to check the place out first. But if it really was empty and Sam had done this, well then he was gonna make sure that he was barred from the hospital indefinitely. Screw what G would think when he woke up. Deeks didn't care about that, because if Sam had caused him all this pain for no reason he was going to make him pay.

Moving into the empty room he made his way to the kitchenette area, and that was where he saw the first signs that maybe Sam hadn't been lying. Maybe someone really did live in this empty apartment, or at least stayed there sometimes. Because sitting there next to the sink, was a bowl and cup obviously left to dry when the occupier had left. Deeks found it strange to be staring at the crockery that he assumed G had left there the morning before he had been shot. The morning he, Deeks had been in their home alone, wishing that G hadn't been called away for an emergency meeting. Wishing that the man he loved was there with him. But no, it seemed instead of across the country as Deeks believed, G had been here in Venice. It was too much to take in right then, so instead he moved on, working his way to the corridor which had two doors leading off of it.

The first he opened was the bathroom, and there he again saw signs of life. A toothbrush and toothpaste sitting by the sink, a washbag next to them containing basic shaving equipment. He recognised G's favourite brand of foam and aftercare, confirming in his mind what Sam had said. This was indeed the apartment of G Callen. He then turned to the shower, only for a smirk to appear on his face due to the fact that there, on the side was a bottle of the highly expensive moisturising shower gel he himself used, rather than the cheap crap G normally brought. Oh he was so gonna make his partner pay for that one. G had spent most of the four years they were together ripping into him about his moisturisers and expensive skin care products, and now G was using it himself? Oh he was so going to enjoy getting back at him for that.

Moving away from the bathroom he turned towards the last door. It was closed but it was obvious that it was bedroom. It was the only room left after all. He wondered what he would find in there. Would there be a big double bed with silk sheets and a room filled with romantic paraphernalia? Or would it be the normal bedroom of someone who just needed somewhere to rest his head? Because Deeks didn't think of a minute that it would be without furniture. I mean, sure there was nothing else in the apartment, but G had to have at least a bed right?

Wrong.

Opening the door he found a room less bare than the livingroom, but still mainly empty. All it contained was a bedroll that was laid down by the wall where whoever was on it would have a perfect view of the door and window, and a military style bag with the words G. Callen printed on the side. It was a bag he had never seen before, if he had he would have asked G about it. But he hadn't known until then that G had been in any of the services. But there was no way he could have a bag like that without doing so, right?... Unless he got it from one of his undercover ops?

At that thought Deeks found himself sitting down on the bedroll with a sigh. This apartment confused him. Because it wasn't either of the things he had thought it would be. It was obviously not somewhere G came to cheat on him, no one would willingly have sex on the floor, no matter how hot G was he was sure. Even he would have a hard time with that suggestion and he loved the guy. But nor was it somewhere he would bring his friends and co-workers. There was nothing in it. It contained nothing of the man he loved, no books lining the walls, no couch to lie on to read them, no chess set like the one G had had in their home. What was the point of this place? What was his reason for having it? Surely if he was working cases in LA he could have come home to him, made up some excuse as to why he was late or had to work through the night. Because he knew that as trusting as he had been, he would have believed every word that came out of G's mouth.

Of course the obvious answer would be that this apartment was used for cover work, but it couldn't be. It was in G's name after all.

No this was the home he presented to those he worked with, and it made absolutely no sense to Deeks.

Lying back on the bed roll he stared up at the ceiling, letting his mind run where it would while idly wondering how many nights G had done this. Lain in this exact spot and stared up at the ceiling. Had he wished he was at home with him those times? Had he wanted to be back in their comfy bed holding him close as they both slept? How often had G used this apartment to keep his secrets?

As that question clarified in his mind Deeks eyes widened. Maybe there was more here than he was seeing. With that he sat up and moved towards the bag, opening it to see just what it contained. He was surprised to find clothes he himself had laundered and folded back in their own apartment. Ones he had seen G pack before he went on his last trip, though he couldn't see any of the suits or the suitcase he knew they had originally been in. Where was G hiding those things? The things that said to him that his partner was a securities trader.

Standing he went back out of the bedroom, looking around the small apartment with new eyes. Trying to see if there was a cupboard or something where G could have stashed those things. Because that was the only reason he could think for G to have this place. That this was the stop gap between agent G Callen and securities trader Gregory Callen. But he could fine nothing in living room, and the cupboards in the kitchen were mainly empty. There was no other doors off the corridor, so where the hell did G stash those things? Where did G hide his other life from his colleagues? Returning to the bedroom he started to look around properly and it was then that his eyes caught something. Something he knew he wouldn't have seen if it wasn't actively looking for it.

Moving towards the back wall of the room he ran his hand down the corner where it connected with the wall the bedroll was pushed against. There was a crack there, which he had originally taken as just a seam in the paper. But what if it was something else? Finding the centre Deeks took a deep breath before pushing gently against it. He had hoped it would move, but still he found himself surprised when it did. Surprised when a section the size of a closet door moved inwards, giving him enough space to insert his fingers and push it smoothly to the side, sliding it behind the remaining wall. And inside the secret compartment Deeks found the G Callen he knew.

The suits were all hanging up neatly, and on the floor were the smart shoes G always wore next to his plain black, professional looking suitcase. Deeks couldn't help but run his hands over this evidence of the man he had thought he had known, the things that to him had always defined the working life of the man he loved. But when the suits moved he saw something else behind them. Some other secret he had not expected to find.

Therefore quickly pushing the clothes aside he revealed a safe. But it was unlike the safe they had back in their own home. The one which contained there important papers and his gun when he was off duty. No, at a guess he would say this safe was military grade. What was G hiding in there? What secrets were so important to him that he would hide them behind a false wall, his false life's clothes, and in a safe that he doubted could be cracked? Deeks sat back at that thought, but his mind could come up with nothing. He wanted to know what was inside, desperately needed to know what else it was G was hiding from him, but he had no idea what the code was.

Once again his mind went to the idea of calling Hetty and asking here, for he was sure she would know the answer. But he didn't want to. For the same reason he hadn't called her for the key, he didn't want anyone with him when he found out what was inside. Therefore the only thing he could do was try and work out what the combination code was. Though that idea made a bitter laugh escape him. Like he would know what code G would use to hide his secrets. He hadn't even truly known the man for god's sake. But he couldn't just sit here, he needed to try.

Closing his eyes he considered what it could be. Put his detectives mind to use to try and find the answer. It had been hidden from the rest of the apartment, so he doubted it was something that was meaningful agent G Callen and those that worked with him. That was good, because if it was he was screwed. It was hidden with the clothes which came from G's life with him, therefore could the code possibly be something important to them? Something his friends wouldn't know, but he, Deeks, would? It was a sure fire way of G being able to keep his secrets. Using information from a life none that knew about this apartment knew he lived, well besides Hetty.

Opening his eyes Deeks leaned towards the safe as he considered putting his theory to the test. What would G use? Deeks' date of birth? No too easy to work out if anyone ever did find out about them. So what? Then an idea came to him, a collection of six numbers that would mean nothing to anyone but him and Gregory Callen. Taking another deep breath he raised his shaking hand towards the keypad and typed in the date that they had first met. He didn't think in a million years it would really work, therefore he was very surprised when he tried the handle and it opened for him.

Holy moly, G had used their anniversary? Wow, that was… wow. Pushing that thought from his mind he turned to see what was inside. The first thing he noticed where the two guns on the top shelf. Pulling them out carefully he saw that their numbers had been filed down. People only did that for illegal weapons. So, that was the first secret he found then, G had two unregistered guns in his safe. Why the hell did he have two unregistered guns? I mean as an agent he could get registered ones easily surely, so why? Shaking his head and putting them aside he turned to see what was on the bottom. And when he did he was even more confused. Because piled neatly in tightly bundled stacks, was money, though most of it wasn't in dollars. In fact taking it out to look through Deeks found that each bundle was a different form of currency. There were American dollars, British pounds, euros, and something he thought was probably Russian, to name just a few.

This made no sense. Why did G have this? Because looking through it there had to be close to $20,000 worth of currency here. Shaking his head he placed the piles on the floor next to the guns and bracing himself, turned back to see what else was inside. He was coming to the conclusion that nothing would surprise him. Therefore when he pulled out the final pile of things from the safe all he did was sigh.

They were passports from various different countries, almost as many different countries as the money was from. He wondered briefly if this safe was actually a side operation that G ran. Fake passports and ID papers, but when he opened the top one he found his lovers face looking back at him, though the name and information was different from what he knew. In fact as he flicked through the pile he found 10 different passports with G's face, declaring him a citizen of Russia, France, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic… the list went on.

As he went through them he wondered why G had these here. Surely NCIS provided him with his cover ID and took them back when his missions were done just as LAPD did with him, so why? It wasn't until he got down to the final five he was completely shocked, and completely overwhelmed with confusion. Because the final collection of passports didn't have G's face in them, but his own.

G had five passports declaring him a citizen of different countries. Declaring him to be a different person. What the hell?

He sat back, moving to lean against the wall as the passports slipped through his fingers. He stared out at nothing as he tried to process what he had just found, and tried desperately to come up with a reason for them being there. But he had none, there was nothing he could think of that would cause G to make him one fake ID, let alone five. With that he pulled his knees up, resting his elbows upon them as he lowered his head into his hands, pushing his fingers through his hair tightly as if he could block out all the questions he had going round in his head with the pain. As if he could pretend that he hadn't discovered what he had, hadn't heard what he had over the last few days. Wishing inside for things to go back to the way there were. Wishing he could go back to his uncomplicated, happy life with the man he loved. Wishing he didn't have to try and solve the mystery that was G Callen without the man in question there to give him the answers.

"Oh god G. When are you going to wake up and help me here? When are you going to tell me the truth about who you really are?" He whispered into the empty apartment, but all he got back was silence. It seemed there was no answer to that one.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello my lovelies. I would like to thank Scififan33, I Feel Possessed, Petunia3116, French fan (Guest), Guest, for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **So a lot of you seem to have theories about the passports, it will all be explained when Callen finally gets ass out of his coma (which will be soonish I think). But I would like to say that this Deeks doesn't really know anything about the world Callen works in, so he is understandably confused. He's a cop, and see things in that scope, rather than a larger federal agency one. Plus he really isn't as paranoid as Callen, but then who is? Well Hetty, but still…**

 **Anyway… wow. This chapter was definitely not the one I planned to write when I started it, but… it seemed to write itself, and I kinda like it (much better than the one I had planned that's for sure). I hope you do to.**

 **As per usual, the bits in italics are memories.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

Deeks had no idea how long he sat there in that empty apartment surrounded by fake passports. But it was long enough for him to be able to get himself under control. He needed to get out of here, go back to G. Go back and sit with him and wait for him to wake. Because he had realised that he wasn't going to get any answers until he did. There was no point him looking for them anywhere else. The only place he would get the answers, the closure, he needed was from the man he loved. Or thought he loved. He wasn't so sure anymore if he did or not. Because he had realised, sitting there in despair the man he loved had never really existed. He was a fantasy, a cover, he wasn't real. And he had no idea how he felt about the real G Callen, because he didn't know him. Had never known him.

Therefore taking a deep breath he lifted his head to look at the things around him. He wondered what to do with it all. He didn't want to leave it here in an empty apartment that anyone could break into. Proof in point he had done so and he wasn't a word class lock pick or anything like that. So what to do now? Frowning he pick up the money and placed it in the bag with G's clothes. After some hesitation he did the same with the passports. He would take that lot to their home, or his home, he wasn't sure anymore who truly lived there. But at least there it would be safe. He then turned to the guns. He didn't want anything to do with them, but he also didn't want to leave them here. There really was only one option. Picking them up, he placed them in the bag as well, though he would be taking them to Bates. Let him deal with the illegal firearms. At least then they would be off the streets.

Turning back to what else was in the secret cupboard Deeks frowned. He couldn't bring himself to pack up G's suits. They were part of the lie, and it was a lie Deeks was done with listening to. Therefore sliding the compartment door closed he sealed G's lying life back up and picked up the bag. He would take the real G out of here, the lie was done. He was done with it. Gregory Callen was no more in Marty Deeks' mind.

Walking out the door he pulled it closed behind him, but he didn't try to lock it. There was no point. There was nothing inside worth stealing. Not anymore. G had stolen all he could from him, let him lose what was left inside. It would be for the best.

Without paying any attention to who was watching him Deeks made his way to his car, carrying the service bag in his hand, though he did have enough presence of mind to make sure that the name upon it was facing inwards. So no one would see who it belonged to. He may not know the man as he had thought he did, but he would protect his identity, because that was what he did. He was a cop, he protected people, even if they had ripped out his heart and thrown it away without a care.

Oh he knew he wasn't being fair, not really, but he was so god damn angry at the man he loved. The man he trusted with his heart. The man who had lied to him from the very beginning. Gone was his worry if G had ever loved him, in its place was a wonder if he had ever loved G. Ever truly loved the man when he didn't really know him. He didn't have the answers, knew he couldn't have the answers until G woke. So he would deal with it all then. Everything would be dealt with then. Until that time Deeks would keep his secrets, would keep him safe.

It didn't take long for him to drive back to his apartment and empty the bag before hiding it away at the back of a cupboard so no one would chance upon it. He hid the money and passports in the safe in there, no his and the liars, home. He then took a long shower, trying to clean himself of all the lies and pain he had heard and been subjected to over the last couple of days. Once clean he changed into comfortable clothing, and picking up the two guns, headed back out towards the precinct. To those he knew didn't lie to him, even if most of them didn't like him either. At least they were honest about it.

* * *

Bates was surprised when he saw Deeks standing in the door to his office. And taking one look at the man he wondered if the worst had happened. If G Callen was dead. Because that was the only reason he could think of for the desolate look on his detectives face.

"Deeks, what happened?" He asked frowning, not wanting to jump to conclusions. He was a detective at heart after all, even if he was in charge around here.

"I found these guns. Though you would know what to do with them." Deeks replied pulling out the two unregistered sidearms from his bag.

At that Bates eyebrows rose. Where the hell did Deeks, who he was positive should be at the hospital with the man he loved, find two unregistered guns?

"I'll deal with it." He nodded taking them and putting them on his desk. But when Deeks didn't say anything else, or even move Bates decided to take things into his own hands. Directing the younger man into a chair he closed the door and pulled down the blinds so no one could see what was going on inside.

"You okay Deeks?" He asked gently as he sat on the side of his desk as rested a friendly, comforting hand on his detectives shoulder. Trying to give him as much support as he could.

"I am so far from okay its funny." Deeks laughed. He was breaking apart and he had no one to turn to. No one to put him back together because the only person who had ever managed to do that was lying in a coma in hospital. And he was the reason he was like this in the first place. How messed up was that?

"Talk to me." Bates said in a frim voice hoping he could help him. Hoping he could do something for the broken man he saw before him.

"It was all lie. Everything, our life together, who he is. It was a lie." Deeks muttered shaking his head as he carried on laughing, because he knew if he stopped he would cry. And he couldn't do that. Not here, and certainly not now.

"His feelings for you aren't a lie Deeks. I can promise you that." Bates said with a firmest that surprised the detective so much he stopped laughed and turned to look up at the man who had always been there for him. He was his boss, and he had taken Deeks under his wing, and for that he would always be grateful. Especially after what had led him to becoming an undercover cop.

"Oh yeah? How can you be so sure lieutenant?" Deeks asked sincerely wanting an answer to his question. Wanting to know what it was Bates knew that made him so sure of that fact.

"I never told you this, but after you became an undercover cop Greg came to me." Bates replied with a sigh, moving to sit himself in his chair. He had never wanted to tell Deeks of this conversation. He hadn't wanted him to think he had given him preferential treatment because of it. And he hadn't, but he hadn't forgotten it either. Though now he knew who Greg Callen really was it put a whole new spin on it in his mind. A spin he hadn't ever considered before.

* * *

 _Two years and ten months ago…_

 _Bates was sat at his desk, going through all the good damn paperwork he had. Why had he agreed to go into management? It was a pain in his ass. Just then there was a knock on his door, interrupting his thoughts. Looking up he saw a smartly dressed man, wearing an experience suit and shiny shoes. If he was in a different department he might have thought this guy a lawyer, if he was in white collar crimes or some such, but not here. The lowlifes they dealt with could never afford a man dressed as he was unless they were a cartel boss. And he knew he didn't have any of them in cells right now, mores the pity. If he did he would be getting more god damn money in his budget._

 _"Lieutenant Bates, can I have word?" the well-dressed man said with a quiet confidence. He had an air about him that made you pay attention._

 _"And who would you be son?" He asked standing from his chair as he spread out his hand offering the other man a seat across from him._

 _"Gregory Callen, detectives Deeks' partner." the man, Gregory replied, closing the door behind him as he sat, seemingly completely at ease the in the lieutenants cramped office._

 _At his words Bates eyebrows rose. He had no idea his new detective was that way inclined. Not that he had problem with that, each to their own in his mind. And at least the boy had sense. This guy obviously had money, and if Bates wasn't wrong, some sort of influence as well. Always good to align yourself right, not that you chose who you fall in love with. But every little helps._

 _"Ah. I didn't realise he was in a relationship. How can I help you?" Bates asked sitting down himself with a smile. This wasn't the first time he had had a newly undercover cop's partner in his office begging him to make sure their loved one was safe. Not that he could imagine this man begging for anything. He really wasn't the type._

 _"I just came to say that if he gets hurt I will come for you." Callen responded in an amiable voice and with a pleasant smile on his face. In fact he sounded so amiable and looked so pleasant it took half a second for Bates to realise what he had just said._

 _"Are you threatening me?" He growled. He did not like people telling him how to do his job. Especially not when they inferred that they would bring him down if he did it wrong. And looking at the man across from him he wouldn't be surprised if he didn't know the police chief, or the governor. But he would not be cowed._

 _"No. just a promise. I love him, and I know I wouldn't be able to go on without him." Callen replied sincerely. He meant no disrespect for the man in front of him, and he didn't want to cause Marty any trouble. But if he ever got hurt, or worse, Callen would not stop until everyone responsible was dead._

 _"He'll be fine. We do this all the time." Bates reassured the man the best he could. Because in his eyes he could see he spoke nothing but the truth. But Deeks showed real promise, and he wouldn't side-line a good cop just because his boyfriend demanded it. No, that was now things happened in his department._

 _"I know how dangerous being undercover is, don't try to sweet talk me lieutenant. I didn't come here for reassurances, I came to make sure you kept him as safe as possible and that he has the back-up he requires." Callen stated simply before standing once more. He had done what he could. He just hoped that this lieutenant looked after the man who had his heart. Gave him the support he would need to do the job he loved. That was all he needed. To know that people out there had his loves back when he could not do it himself._

 _"Well I-" Bates tried to respond but he wasn't sure what to say. He never let his undercover cops go into danger without the right support network. That would be completely against the code he had worked so had to maintain._

 _"Thank you for your time." Callen nodded smiling at the look of outrage in the lieutenants eyes. That was all he needed to see. He knew Bates would never consider sending Marty into anything without the help he needed. That was all he could ask. With that Callen turned and walked out of Bates' office leaving the man behind still with his mouth open._

* * *

"I should have seen it then. That he was one of Hetty's. He had that look. The one of someone who, if he lost you would have nothing left to loose. Those are the most dangerous of people. The ones who have lost everything." Bates said, returning to the here and now, smiling as he saw the look of shock on his detectives face. It was very similar to the one he himself had won when G Callen had walked away from his office that day.

"And you still let him come to the Christmas party?" Deeks ask not sure how to take this new development. That G had approached his boss and threatened him. That was not something he had expected, like ever.

"I wanted to see how he was with you. Wanted to make sure he was treating you right. Plus I thought he was friends with the chief of police." Bates replied with humour, but seeing that Deeks still wasn't convinced he spoke in a more serious tone. "He loves you Deeks. That has never been in question in my mind. No matter what he does, or who he really is, he loves you. Does anything else really matter?"

"I don't know. I really don't know." Deeks responded, not sure where this new piece of the G Callen puzzle fitted into everything else he had learnt over the last few days. It was something so completely different to the agent he had been hearing about, but it was something he could imagine Gregory Callen doing for the man he loved. In fact, had Bates told him about that meeting before he had found out who G really was, he wouldn't have questioned it, just rolled his eyes at the protectiveness of his partner.

"Go back to him. Be there for him. Wait for him wake up and then ask him your questions. Don't make any decision until you've spoken. That's an order from your lieutenant." Bates replied as he stood from his desk and moved back to his chair. He still had the never ending hell of paperwork to do after all.

"Thanks Bates." Deeks smiled as he stood. He had always liked and respected his boss, especially when he had accepted his relationship with G without question, but now he felt closer to him somehow. He was helping like a friend, or something.

"Go, get out of here. I don't want to see you until G is awake and you have sorted this out is that clear?" Bates demanded in his best lieutenant voice not raising his head from his work.

"Crystal." Deeks replied moving to open the blinds as he made his way out of the office. He knew how much Bates liked to keep an eye on his worker bees after all.

And after he was out of hearing range Bates looked up at the retreating back of one of his best and sighed. "You better have answers for him G Callen, or it won't be you after me, it will be the other way round." he growled into the empty air before nodding. Oh yes, now he knew who he was up against, he would make sure he didn't hurt his detective, even if he had to invoke the wrath of Henrietta Lange to do it. For one of his own he would take on Lucifer himself if needs be.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello my darlings. I would like to thank** **anonkp, LKK (Guest), elsje1967, Guest, Petunia3116 and French fan (Guest), for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **So here is the next chapter, I hope you like it. I would like to say that I know nothing about medical things, so I have taken a complete artistic licence with this.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

When Deeks returned to G's room it was to find that Sam had been replaced by Henrietta, sitting by his bedside holding his hand. She was again talking, though this time it wasn't in English. Deeks had no clue what language it was, but from the tone of her voice it sounded as if she was speaking words filled with love and affection. Deeks couldn't help himself, he stopped in the doorway and just leaned his head against the frame as he closed his eyes and let those feelings wash through him. Letting the words settle in his mind, hoping they would help ease out the pain and upset. It didn't work completely, but it did help him find… something. Some sort of peace for his frantic mind.

He was pulled from that peace by Henrietta changing her words to English and addressing him, though when he opened his eyes he saw she hadn't turned. Damn, how did she know he was there?

"Did you find anything at the apartment detective?" She asked in a conversational tone to the man she knew who was watching and listening to her. She was pretty sure he didn't speak Russian, and therefore would not be able to understand the words she had been speaking to Callen. Would not be able to hear her begging him to come back to them, that she needed him here, that his partner needed him here, both of them.

"Just more questions." Deeks replied with a sigh as he moved to take the chair on the opposite side of the bed from her. Though he didn't move to take G's hand as he had done every other time he had been in this room. He wasn't sure if he wanted to anymore, wasn't sure if it was his place to do so anymore. There were too many questions in his mind.

"Ah. Well when Mr Callen awakes I am sure he will be able to answer them for you." She responded with a reassuring smile.

"Yeah I'm sure he will. But the question is, will he?" Deeks muttered as his eyes turned to stare at the lifeless body lying between them.

"That I cannot tell you. But I know he will do anything within his power to do so. He loves you." Hetty answered in a definite tone. She wanted him to know that fact, no matter what else might be going through his mind, she needed him to believe that Callen loved him with all his heart.

But Deeks did not reply. Instead her words were followed by silence. Her sitting holding the hand of her boy, while Deeks sat just staring at his face as if he could read all the answers he needed in those features.

After five minutes of this tense atmosphere Hetty knew it was time for her to retreat. Mr Deeks needed time alone with his man. Therefore standing she leant over and placed a kiss on Callen's forehead before turning to the other man in the room.

"I will leave you two now. I need to get to work. Please call me if you need anything, or if there is any change?" She asked gently causing Deeks to turn to her with a smile.

"Sure." He nodded, he then watched her as she walked out the door and turned down the corridor where his eyes could not follow. Therefore he turned back to staring at the man lying in front of him. The man he once loved, the man he thought he knew, the man who still caused his heart to beat faster, and still caused worry to course through him. The man he knew, he could love again one day. As long as he got the answers he needed. Because he couldn't, not until then.

"Oh G. What's going through your head huh? They say people in comas can hear what we say, is that true? Can you hear me G? Do you have any idea of what I have learnt about you since you came in here?" With that Deeks dropped his head into his hands, pushing them once more through his hair as he tried to keep the questions from crowding his mind once more. There was no point. G couldn't answer him, not now, not yet. Hopefully soon, but when will soon be here? When would he get the answers he needed? Or was he going to go mad waiting for the partner to wake? Spending years sitting here like he is now, just waiting for the answers that would never come. How would he go on if G never woke? What would he do if he never got his answers? What would he take as reality? What was the truth of their life together? What was real and what his own fantasy? Why did G lie?

As the questions continued to appear in his mind Deeks found he could no longer keep them inside. Instead he leant forwards so his face was close to G's. And speaking in a quiet voice he let the thoughts in his mind free.

"Why did you lie to me G? Why? Didn't you trust me? Is that it? You don't trust me with who you truly are so you just gave me what you thought I wanted? Because if so you got it wrong. You hear me, you were wrong. I didn't want any dream or cover, I wanted you. The real you. So why didn't you give it to me? I never lied G, not to you. Sure I may have not told you everything, but I never lied. You had me from the minute we met. I loved you with everything I was and I never asked for anything in return. Until now. Now I need to know G. I need you to wake up and tell me, because I can't work it out. Everyone keeps telling me you love me, your boss, hell my boss, but I need to hear it from you. Was that just another lie? Do you love me? And if you do, then why? Why did you lie?"

Deeks couldn't stop the sigh that came out of his lips at the end of his rambling words. Nor could he stop himself turning from staring at G's unmoving face to stare out the window. Watching how life continued on for others while he sat there in some sort of frozen time. Sat there waiting for G to wake so he could carry on with his life. Though where the new start point for it would be he had no clue.

He still had so many questions inside him. So many things he wished to understand. But there was no point saying them, not now. No, now was a time where he could do nothing but wait. Sit and wait for when his life would begin again.

Suddenly his eyes caught something moving in the corner of his field of vision. Refocusing on that area he realised it was G's hand, the one he would normally be holding tightly. Staring at it intently Deeks found himself holding his breath. Waiting to see if he had imagined what he thought he had seen… but no. There it was again. That was no trick of his mind. G's fingers just moved.

"G? G? Come on. Open your eyes G. Come back to me. Please." He begged, standing quickly so he could frame G's face with his hands, all the while making sure his hand was still there, in his vision as his eyes flited between G's face and his fingers. Nothing else in his mind now than the possibility that the man he loved was waking.

It was another few minutes, and nothing more happened. But Deeks would not give up, and yet he didn't know what to do to help G come back to him. But others would. With that in mind he moved quickly to the door and stuck his head out, catching a passing nurse by the arm.

"G just moved." He said, the hope in his voice not lost on the woman in front of him.

"I'll get the doctor." She replied with a smile, patting his hand before turning and purposefully moving off to do as she just said she would. Leaving Deeks not sure what he was supposed to do now. So he did the only thing he could do, he turned back into the room and picked up G's hand in his own. Holding on to it as if he could get the older man to wake though his will alone. Now that there was a chance that G was coming back to him all the questions and worries that had been hounding him had disappeared from his mind. The only thing in it was the idea that G was gonna wake, that he was gonna see his beautiful blue eyes once more, that G was coming back to him.

* * *

The doctor came quickly, and it didn't take long for him to do the tests required. It seemed very much to him that his patient was coming out of his coma, though how long it would take, only time would tell.

"It could be up to 24 hours before Mr Callen regains consciousness, but this is a good sign Mr Deeks. He will wake soon." He said to the man who had refused to let go of his partner's hand. He could see the love he had for the man lying in the bed reflected in his eyes, and he knew that that was the best sight for Mr Callen to wake to.

"Thanks doc." Deeks nodded not taking his eyes from G's face, waiting for his eyes to open once more.

The doctor smiled and squeezed the man's shoulder before turning to walk towards the door before Deeks remembered something. "Hey doc, can you call Henrietta Lange? She'll want to be here." He asked, still not turning around. He couldn't take his eyes off the face in front of him. He didn't want to miss him waking.

"Of course. I'll make sure that's done." The doctor replied and exited the room. The first thing he did was get the nurse to make the call. Mr Callen would need all his friends and family around him when he came back to them. Needed all the love they would give him.

* * *

It was not much later that both Hetty and Sam came through the door, the woman taking the sit opposite Deeks once more, picking up his other hand, while Sam stood at the bottom of the bed. Once in position all their eyes turned to the man they were waiting for to return to the land of the living. To return to them. Waiting for the one they all cared for with barely concealed anticipation, the one who had such an impact in their lives and meant so much to each of them.

And they stayed there waiting and watching as the hours ticked by. All trying desperately to will G Callen back to back them with their thoughts as the tension rose with each moment of time that elapsed. Not one thought to sleep or rest, no they would do that once he was back with them. And only then.

Finally when the night was at its darkest and all those around them were deep in slumber, they got their reward. G's eyes started to flicker under his lids, before blinking slowly open. And when they did they sort out only one face in the room. The only face they wanted, no needed to see.

"G." It was barely a sound, more a breath, but he heard it and turned to find the one he wanted. The one he had come back for.

"Marty." He whispered, not being able to speak more. He then pulled the hand that was furthest from the man he loved, removing it from the strange warmth that surrounded it, so he could raise it to thread through Marty's hair. He winced slightly at how that movement hurt, but he didn't care about the pain. All he cared about right then was Marty. At being able to touch him once more, at being able to feel his lips once more against his own. With that thought Callen pulled Marty's head closer to his own so he could do just that.

It was a chaste kiss, neither had the energy to put the passion they wished to in it. But Callen did make sure all the love he had for the younger man was there. That he poured his heart out to the man who he had made sure he kept fighting for. Because it was for Marty and Marty alone he had returned. He didn't remember what had happened, or why he was wherever he was, but Marty was there and that was all that mattered to him. He was back where he belonged, with the man he loved. He was back from the darkness that had been consuming him, and he now once more was in the light of Marty Deeks. He was back.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello my lovelies. I would like to thank Sincerely-ADedicatedFan, DS2010, kirallie, 974lk, Petunia3116, French fan (Guest), LKK (Guest) and tgMoony for the awesome reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last up date. You guys are fantastic.**

 **So here is the next chapter, I hope you like it and please, don't hate me. I did say this was angst right?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

Sam watched as G's eyes opened and he couldn't keep the smile that spread across his face from showing. He opened his mouth to say something, but soon found he had no words as he watched his partner's eyes focus onto the floppy haired detective, and then he pulled the kid into a kiss. Seriously? Okay, sure he may have started to be okay with the guy, but seeing this… it made it very clear to him that everything that Deeks had said was the truth in a way nothing else could. His partner was in love with the surfer boy. Damn. He was pulled from these disturbing thoughts by Hetty speaking quietly to him.

"Mr Hanna, perhaps you could get the doctor?"

"Yeah sure." Sam nodded, it would give him time away from what he had just seen. Give him a chance to try and work out what his mind was thinking about this. About how everything Deeks had said was real, and about how he had treated the kid. Was G gonna kill him for how he had behaved? No, his partner would understand. After all if anyone should be angry it was him. Callen had kept Deeks a secret from him, he hadn't trusted him enough to tell him that he had someone in his life even though he knew all about Michelle and his kids. Yeah, that still didn't sit well with him, and as soon as he got the chance, he and G where gonna have a nice long chat about that, preferably while sparing, hard. But first a doctor.

"Hetty?" Callen muttered pulling out of the kiss as he heard other voices in the room. He wasn't sure who was there, but he would recognise that voice anywhere. Turning towards it he saw she was sitting beside him, her hand still resting on the bed. So that was the warmth he had pulled his hand away from then. Okay.

"I am here Mr Callen. You are safe now." Hetty replied with a gentle smile as she moved her hand to rest on leg.

"Good, that's good." Callen agreed, letting his arm drop back and away from Marty even if he didn't want to. It was hurting keeping it like that and he didn't seem to have much energy.

"Rest." Hetty said quietly, picking up his hand once more and giving it a squeeze.

"Yeah." He agreed once more before he found his eyes slipping closed. He didn't know why but he was tired, so very, very tired. So he didn't try to fight it. He instead let the darkness claim him once more, though it was different from the one before. This was the gentle darkness of sleep. He didn't mind that. He knew he could return to Marty whenever he chose from sleep. And as he slipped back into unconsciousness it crossed his mind to wonder what the other darkness had been. The darkness he had fought before he finally managed to open his eyes to the man he loved.

The doctor came and while Callen slept through his visit, he was pleased to see it was a normal sleep. His patient had woken, now he would have to wait until he woke again to see how much he remembered, to make sure there was no brain damage. Though considering the man's actions that were related to him by the lady at his side, he knew Mr Callen recognized the man he loved. That was good, that was very good.

* * *

The next time Callen awoke it was daylight outside and Marty was still at his side. Good. He didn't want him to be anywhere else. His mind was also clearer and he remembered why he was there. That he had been shot. Not on a case as he had always thought he would be, but in some god damn drive by. What was that all about? He remembered climbing out of Sam's car, smiling at the Russian girl who he had been avoiding, and then… pain and darkness, and only thoughts of wanting to see Marty once more before he died.

And while he remembered that, the possibility that his two worlds had collided didn't even cross his mind. That Sam had been there when he was shot and Marty was in the hospital with him now didn't compute. Because all he could think about was Marty, about being back with the man he loved, the man who had saved him, the man he had freely given his heart to for him to protect. The man who was the light of his life, the only light he had that it seemed could drive out any darkness.

"Hey Marty." He said as he opened his eyes and stared at the man he loved who was at his bedside.

"Hey G." Deeks replied, not being able to stop the smile that appeared on his face, even if after the initial surge of happiness and relief that G was awake had given way to the questions he had in his mind. But even though he wanted answers, he wasn't sure if G was well enough to give them. Ready enough to give them. Or if he was ready to hear the answers.

"What is it?" Callen asked frowning as he saw the storm raging in the blue eyes he loved so much. The blue eyes he had never seen so cloudy, the blue eyes he had thought would only be filled with a love that match his own upon his waking, as they always were.

"What do you remember about what happened to you?" Deeks asked rather than answering his question. He wasn't about to bombard the man after he had just come out of a coma. That really wasn't a good idea, and he didn't want to hurt G or cause him to have a setback.

"I was walking to… towards Venice Beach, then I was shot. The rest is a blur, why?" Callen asked hoping that Marty would take his hesitation as being caused by his injuries and not because he had almost said his apartment. He didn't want Marty to know about that.

"Henrietta wanted to know what you remembered." Deeks replied smiling at him, though again G could see something was off about it. As if Marty wasn't telling him the whole truth. But Callen knew that without question Hetty would want to know everything that had happened. Of course she would, she would want to know who had injured her agent, and no doubt the team were trying to hunt them down as he spoke.

Deeks on the other couldn't believe that even lying in a hospital bed after being shot five times G was still lying to him. He knew what he was going to say before he corrected himself, and it was the first time he had ever seen the man slip up. But he could excuse him for that he supposed, he had just woken from a coma after all. But the fact he was still lying, that hurt Deeks more than he could ever say.

"I'll talk to her later. How long was I out?" Callen asked wondering what it was he was missing. Because it was something big.

"Three days. You were in a coma." Deeks responded simply, he knew G needed to know this even if he wasn't sure what else he was going to say. At least this he could talk about without thought.

"You've been here all that time?" Callen asked as if the idea of someone sitting by his bedside for that long was a surprise to him. As if the idea that Marty would stay with him while he was in a coma was the strangest idea he had ever had, even if he knew the younger man loved him. It didn't cross his mind that he would be worthy of such devotion that would cause Marty to sit with him, stay with him until he woke.

But Deeks didn't hear that in his voice. He didn't hear the surprise, instead he heard it as worry. As if G was worried his secret had come out. That he, Deeks, had found out the truth and it angered him to the point that he couldn't keep what he had learnt to himself. Not anymore. He needed answers, even if G wasn't ready to give them. But he wasn't going to demand them, instead when he spoke he dropped a hint, something he knew that would get G to ask the questions he needed him to do so he could show him how not to lie.

"Most of it. I had to go somewhere yesterday."

"Where?" Callen asked without thought, falling straight into the trap Deeks had devised for him. It was almost too easy, but then he had to give G some slack. He had been in a coma and shot five times. No doubt he wasn't firing on all cylinders right then.

"Venice." Deeks replied with a sharp tone to his voice. Hoping G would know why and where in Venice he had gone.

"Why?" Callen asked confused about why Marty would go to Venice. He could think of no reason for the man he loved to go there. The investigation would be conducted by NCIS, so the police would have no need of Marty. So why…?

"Someone had to check your apartment." Deeks answered in a normal tone even though he was staring right into G's eyes as he said the words. He therefore saw how he flinched at the words. That was enough to make a sneer appear on his face. Even now, after all that had happened to him G really thought he could keep his lies and secrets. Well too bad, it was too late for that. He was done playing this game, of trying to get information from G in a subtle way.

"Marty-" Callen breathed not sure what else he could say. He knew about his apartment, which meant he knew about…

"Why did you lie G?" Deeks demanded in a hard tone. His eyes turning almost crystalline as the bored holes in the man lying in the bed before him.

"I…" Callen tried to answer, but he couldn't. How could he explain to the man he loved why he had never told him about what he did without Marty hating him? How could he ever explain the darkness and pain he alone had caused when he was talking to the one who had shown him the light? How could he ever subject Marty to that truth? He couldn't. He would rather lose the man he loved than tell him the dark secrets he had buried deep inside himself.

"Tell me. I need to know." Deeks said, though his tone had gone from demanding to begging. Because he didn't want to lose this man. The man he knew he could love again… but he couldn't do that without answers. Answers only G could give him. Damn it, why couldn't he just tell him?

"I love you, Marty, only you." Callen stated as if that would solve everything, as if nothing else mattered but those words, that feeling. As if that was the most important thing. Because to him it really was. His love for Marty had saved him, it was what guided him, and it was the most important thing. Marty was his world. He was his everything. He was his light.

And looking into G's eyes Deeks knew he spoke the truth. But then he remembered something, a question he never thought he would have to answer the way he was. Is love enough? Because right then, staring into G's eyes he realised that quiet possibly it was no, love wasn't enough. He needed more from the man before him. He needed everything.

"I know. But do you trust me? Cos I've gotten the idea that you really don't." He finally said in a sad voice, knowing that no matter what he said G would wouldn't tell him why. Wouldn't give him what he needed to forgive him and move on. Why was he throwing them away for this? What was it about him that G didn't trust so much, that he would give up everything they had?

"No." Callen replied instantly. He did trust Marty. He trusted him with his life, his love and his heart. He trusted more than anyone. He just couldn't bear to see the disgust in his eyes when he knew it all.

"No you don't trust me?" Deeks asked in a whisper, because while he may have thought it, hearing it confirmed sent a searing pain running through him, stealing the breath from his body.

"No, that's not the reason I didn't tell you." Callen explained quickly. He could see the hurt in Marty's eyes and he wanted to remove it. If only he could without destroying everything they had, everything they were. Without destroying the man sitting beside him.

"Then what was G, please, I need to understand." Deeks begged once more even if he knew it wouldn't work. He couldn't bring himself to give up on them, on the love they had, so easily. He needed to know.

Deeks' sentence was followed by silence as Callen wondered. Could he do it? Could he destroy the light Marty held just so he could kept him at his side? But even as the question crossed his mind he knew the answer. And it was the only one he could give.

"I… I can't." Callen replied in a defeated voice, knowing that with those words he had lost the man he loved. With those words he had destroyed all he held dear, but it was better this way. Better than Marty finding out who he truly was, finding out about the darkness he carried inside. At least this way Marty had a chance to recover, had a chance to still walk in the light he shone on all those who he came across.

Deeks sat back at Callen's words and knew that was the end. It was done. There was nothing he could say to change G's mind. All that was left was for him to decide what he was going to do now. For him to decide if he would be able to take back the man who had lied to him without giving him a reason, though he had a horrible idea that the answer was going to be no. But he wouldn't make any rash decisions, he had learnt so much over the last few days, he needed time to think about this. Time to work out what he really wanted. Time to decide if love was enough without the heat of anger or betrayal echoing in his mind. Therefore taking a deep breath he spoke into the silence which was already filled with despair.

"Okay. Well I need to call Bates and let him know you're awake. Sam will be here any time now." He said standing and making his way to the door.

"Sam?" Callen asked with a frown. Deeks knew Sam? Of course once that question crossed his mind he realised how stupid it was. Of course Deeks knew Sam. If he had been in coma there was no way his partner hadn't been there to see him. Oh crap. There was another person he had lied to, another person who would demand an explanation from him. But unlike Marty, he knew he would be able to give his partner one. Because he had already seen his darkness, had accepted it and taken it as part of who he was. At least he would have Sam once this was all said and done, and Callen had a feeling he was going to need his partner. He was going to need someone to lean on when Marty left him for good.

"Yeah, you know, your partner, the guy that saved your life?" Deeks asked turning as he reached the door to look back at the man loved, because he still did. He knew that. There was nothing G could do that would stop him loving him, but that love also didn't stop him hating him right now. Didn't stop him thinking of ending what had been between them. No, don't think of it. Time. He needed time.

With that thought he turned back to the door without saying another word, leaving Callen to lie there and wonder why it was he had ever let himself believe that he truly deserved the love and laughter that Marty had ever brought into his life.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello my darlings. Wow. I want to thank elsje1967, GoldenEyes-65, summer-princess88, Scififan33, thek9kid, DS2010, French fan (Guest) and LKK (Guest) for all the amazing reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update. The support and response to the last chapter was awesome, so thank you.**

 **Now onto the next chapter, time for a bit of Sam I feel. I hope you like it. I should also state that this chapter may have triggers as it concerns dark thoughts and depression.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS.**

* * *

When Sam returned to his home in the early hours of the morning it was to find his wife sitting in the kitchen a mug of coffee in her hands. By the looks of it she hadn't slept any more than he had. Moving to sit next to her he grabbed the mug and took a sip. He felt he might need something to get the taste of what he had seen in the hospital out of his mouth.

Michelle had been sitting up waiting for Sam to return ever since he had called her to tell her what was going on. That G was waking up. Therefore without any preamble she asked the question that was upmost in her mind, though she knew if the answer was no her husband would not be home, so it was pretty obvious. Yet she still wanted the words that would confirm that said out loud.

"Is G awake?"

"Oh yeah, he's awake alright." Sam muttered darkly his mind once more supplying the image of his partner grabbing the floppy haired surfer-bum cop and pulling him into a kiss.

"Did he say anything?" Michelle asked wondering what it was that was upsetting Sam this time. Though she guessed G must have confirmed his relationship with Deeks. That would do it she knew.

"He said Marty, before pulling the idiot cop into a kiss. I means seriously? That's the first thing he does when he wakes up? What the hell?" Sam snapped getting worked up about what had happened in the hospital, about how it had confirmed in a way nothing else could that his partner had lied to him.

"Sam." Michelle responded with a reprimanding tone. Surely he could understand why G had kissed his partner. I mean he had just woken up from a coma. If it had been either one of them they would have done the exact same thing after all.

"I know, but… how could he lie to me about this? The whole time I've known him, the whole time he's been my partner, he's kept Deeks a secret from me. Why?" Sam asked deflating as the true reason for his anger hit him. It wasn't Deeks, though he still thought G could do so much better, the kid was a cocky ass. No it was the fact that G had never told him the truth. That he had lied to him every single day they worked together. Even as they built up the bonds needed to protect each other's backs, G had been keeping this major part of his life a secret.

"I can't answer that Sam, only G can." Michelle replied in an understanding tone as she reached out and squeezed the man she loved's hand. She wanted to make sure he knew she was there for him, that she would always be there for him.

"Oh yeah, like that's gonna happen." Sam muttered, glaring at the table in front of him as if was his partner.

"You just have to find the right questions to ask Sam, and ask them in the right way." Michelle said with a small smile on her face at her husband's death glare. She had to confess he did look rather sexy when he was pissed.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked with a frown. Surely the best way to get answers from G was to demand them. He knew his partner could talk around anything, he had deflection techniques down to a tee. So straight forward, making sure he knew he wouldn't take any crap. That was the only way to get G to tell him anything, right?

"Don't go in there pissed at him. Let him come to you, show you're curious but forgiving. I'm sure if you do that you will learn everything that you wish." Michelle answered simply. It would be something G wouldn't be expecting from his partner, and as such would put him on the back foot. Because she knew if Sam went in there all guns blazing he would get nothing. But take G off guard first, and he could learn everything he wanted to know.

"Hmm." Was all Sam replied as he thought over her words. It was a good idea, and certainly not one he had considered. It was sneaky and manipulative, but when dealing with G Callen that was the way you had to be sometimes. He would need to think about this.

* * *

The next morning found Sam making his way down the corridor to Callen's room with a spring in his step. His had thought over Michelle's words in what had remained of the night and he now had a plan of action. He couldn't wait to put it into play, to see how his partner would react to his amiable behaviour. If nothing else that was definitely going to be fun.

And while sure, he was still pissed at him, he couldn't let G know that. Nor could he let him know of the animosity that had been prevalent between him and Deeks while he had been in a coma. Therefore he was just gonna have to be nice to both of them. He could do that. After all once all this was said and done he and G would still be partners, they would still be brothers, having each other's back. They would get over this and come out stronger on the other side. Even if that other side did mean he would be spending more time with the floppy haired cop his partner had gone and fallen in love with. He could do that. He was sure Deeks wasn't that bad when you got to know him. He couldn't be, not if G loved. He had to have some redeeming features, right?

But as Sam made his way to the door of G's room he found not the two occupants he had been expecting. No the only person inside was G, looking not so happy. In fact Sam wasn't sure he had ever seen his partner looking so despondent. What had happening in the time since he woken and now, and where the hell was Deeks? Why wasn't he with G? It was obvious he needed someone and as much as Sam hated to admit it, he was sure that someone was not him. So where the hell was the kid who claimed to love his partner so god damn much huh? Why wasn't he at his side when G needed him to be? But before he said anything Sam made sure to take a deep breath. He could not show his anger or frustration. Calm and amiable, that was the way to go.

"Hey G, where's Deeks?" He asked as he walked through the door and took the chair which was not the one Deeks usually sat in, leaving the other for when the younger man returned. Because Sam had no doubt he would be back soon enough.

"Gone." Callen replied in a emotionless voice as he carried on staring up at the ceiling, not even turning to see how his partner looked. Turning to see if he was pissed with him, or more probably, exactly how pissed with him he was. He really didn't care. He was never going to see Deeks again, he had lost the man he loved, why was anything else remotely important right then?

"When's he coming back?" Sam asked his eyebrows raising at the sound of G voice. He was getting more and more worried about him.

"Never. What are you doing here Sam?" Callen asked turning to face him finally, just wanting to get this over with so he could go back to wallowing in the thoughts of never having Marty in his life again.

"Can't I visit my partner while he is recovering from being shot?" Sam asked in a jollying tone. This was not what he had expected to find that morning. No he had expected to walk in on some lovey-dovey crap, to have to sit there and watch while G and Deeks made goo-goo eyes at each other or something. This was so far from that situation that he was finding himself feeling a bit like a fish out of water. Why would Deeks never be back? What had happened between the couple? What was going on now?

"Yes. But that's not why you're here. If you want answers, you need to ask questions." Callen replied in a tied voice. Might as well get this over with, might as well lose both of the two people he was closest to. A clean cut to break what was left of his life. He was ready for it.

At his words Sam sat back and stared at the man lying in front of him. He knew the subtle approach he had devised wouldn't work anymore, but he also no longer felt any anger towards his partner. Hurt sure, but not anger. All he really wanted to do was help G deal with whatever was going on between him and Deeks, but to do that he needed to know the truth. He needed to know it all.

"Why'd you not tell me about Deeks?" He asked simply, honestly.

"You're a former navy SEAL. I didn't think you would accept I was in a relationship with a guy." Callen replied with a shrug, though as he did so he winced at how it pulled the stitches in his wounds. Note to self, don't shrug, or move his arms, or any of his upper body for that matter.

"Maybe at the beginning. But we both know I don't give a crap what gender your partner is as long as you're happy. So why didn't you tell me?" Sam asked again, determined to get the truth out of the man before him. Well G had told him to ask, so he was. And he would wait until he got an answer before moving on to the next thing he wanted to know, namely what the hell was going on with him and detective now.

"You know, I never wanted a partner. Hell I argued against it long and hard, but Hetty wouldn't hear of it. I wanted to spend more time in LA, to be with…" at that Callen broke of his words, not being able to say Marty's name, so instead he turned back to staring at the ceiling as he continued talking. "The one condition she had was you. I had to have a partner of her choosing. When I found out you were a former SEAL I thought she was crazy. I never considered that we would work together, you know? But we did, right?" the question was almost hesitant in the way it was spoken, though Callen kept his eyes adverted from the man sitting next to him. Trying to give of the aura that he really didn't care about the answer, even if they both knew he did.

"Yeah we work well together G, you're my brother." Sam replied, correcting G's use of the past tense with a present one. He wasn't going to lose his partner over this. No way. He and G were a good team, and it was a team he wanted to keep.

"I was so surprised when that bond formed. That we become so close. You somehow managed to worm your way into my life and my heart. You became part of the family I never had." Callen continued with a faint smile at how Sam had said he was his brother, not that he had been his brother. Maybe there was still a chance that he would be able to salvage something from the rumble that was now his life.

"So why didn't you tell me?" Sam asked for the third time, though this time he voice was quiet. Because G had never expressly told him that before. Never given him those words even if Sam knew they were true. They were family, and nothing could destroy that fact.

"Because there is only one person who means more to me than you and Hetty. I couldn't lie to him and tell you the truth. I couldn't let you know more than him… I know it doesn't make sense, but I couldn't betray him that way. I couldn't hide a part of me from him and allow you to see everything." Callen explained, or at least he tried too. He wasn't sure if he was doing a very good job, mainly because he had never really understood his reasoning. So how the hell could he expect Sam too?

"That makes more sense that you think G. It really does." Sam nodded into the quiet when Callen stopped talking. He understood now. Deeks was the most important person in G's life. He hadn't told him because he was honouring him. It may be a still screwed version of honour, but it was honour none the less. Yeah he got where G was coming from by not telling him about Deeks now… what he didn't get was why he never told Deeks in the first place.

"Why'd you lie to Deeks?" He asked in almost as whisper, giving Callen a reason not to answer if he didn't want to. Giving him an out if he wasn't ready to tell him the complete truth, though Sam hoped G had at least told the detective his reasoning. Though thinking about it, if Deeks had asked the same questions he was of his partner, and G hadn't been so forthcoming… well that would certainty explain the kid's absence from his bedside. Oh G, tell you that wasn't what you did. Tell me that isn't what's going on here, please?

Callen heard the words and wondered what to say. He hadn't told Marty when he had asked, hadn't been able to. Because he wasn't a selfish bastard who would destroy someone just for their own gain. But could he tell Sam? Could he explain to his partner, who already knew him, who was married to a former CIA operative? Could he really tell him the truth behind it all?

"Do you know how he and I met?" Callen finally asked, almost as if he was changing the conversation, but Sam knew that there was a point to that question. He knew his partner would get round to what it was eventually.

"Yeah, Deeks told us while you were out. He said that you were getting a beat down from the Russian mob and he saved your ass." Sam replied, wondering if there was more to the tale than Deeks had known and that was why G was asking that.

"He certainly did that. What he doesn't know, what no one knows, is that that night I made a conscious decision. When I was made, I decided not to fight." Callen said softly turning to smile gently at his partner as he watched the thoughts flit through his eyes before he hit upon what Callen hadn't said.

Sam couldn't believe it. The night G had met Deeks, he was willing to let himself getting beaten to death? What the hell? "G?" He asked in a voice which was begging his partner to explain. To tell him what he thought wasn't true.

"Do you know what I did for the CIA? I inserted myself into the vilest cesspits of the world and cosied up to the leaders, removing anyone who stood in my path. I was damn good at it too. But all I ever saw was darkness and evil. Pain and suffering that I had to help cause for the greater good. I was so tired of it all, so tired of the death and destruction that I saw every day of my life. So tired of how the darkness was consuming me, turning me into one of them. So when I was made and pulled outside to that alley all I could think was that I finally had a way out. I was lying on the ground smiling at the idea that I was going to die because at least then I would have peace. But then I heard 'LAPD, freeze.' I couldn't believe it. I watched as the leader of the group moved towards the cop and I knew I couldn't let him get hurt. He was trying to protect me, the least I could do was return the favour, right? So I fought. For him. And I've doing the same thing ever since. Fighting to protect him for all the darkness of the world, and most of all protecting him from the darkness inside myself. I can't let him know. I can't… I can't taint him with it."

And with those words Callen feel silent. His breathing was harsh from all the emotions and thoughts he had finally put words too. He hadn't planned on saying as much as he had, and he had no idea how Sam would respond. But it was done, he had said the words out loud. He couldn't take them back or change it now. It was done. It was out there, and there was no going back only forwards.

* * *

Sam had sat there listening to everything G had said with mounting horror. He didn't like to think of the things his partner had done before they met. Not because he was disgusted by them or anything, but more because he hadn't been there to have his back while he did them. But now his only thought was trying to make G realise that that wasn't him. Not anymore. He was a good guy. He needed G to know, he was one of the good guys.

"G. You're not that guy any more. You don't do that crap anymore. You work for NCIS, you work with me. Sure we go undercover, but it's not the same and you know it." He stated with a determined voice, hoping that by his tone alone he could drive his words into his partner head and his heart. Hoping he would see the good he did every day they worked together.

"It's still there though, inside me. What I have done. I killed people Sam, and not in the way that it was me or them, but because they got in my way or because I was ordered to. But …" at that Callen paused while he built up the strength to say the name he needed to speak without his voice wavering. "Marty… he is so full of light, you know? He protects people. He fights to save people. He is everything good and wonderful and bright in this world. He is everything I'm not." Callen replied fervently, trying to make Sam understand why he had never told Marty, why he would never tell the man he loved the truth. He couldn't, it really was that simple in his mind.

But before Sam could even try to think of an argument to use against that another voice joined in from the doorway, the tone giving away nothing of the feeling behind the words that were spoken.

"You know, that pedestal you have me on is pretty damn high. I'm surprised I don't have vertigo."

At that single sentence two pairs of eyes snapped to the man leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed, and both saw the complaintive look on Marty Deeks face as he studied the man he loved.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello my darlings. Wow. I would like to thank anonkp, Grifter5280, French fan (Guest),** **LKK (Guest), Guest, PirateGinge, thek9kid, DS2010, Petunia3116 and Beststoriesever for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **So here is the next chapter, sorry for the long wait, I suddenly had to have my house rewired and therefore there was dust and mess everywhere. I have only just got it all sorted again.**

 **Also there are lines from the previous chapter in this one, so if some of them seem familiar, that would be why.**

 **Anyway enough from me, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

Deeks made it out of the hospital without running into anyone. Therefore as he made his way to his car he pulled out his phone. He needed to tell Bates G was awake, and maybe that he would be coming back to work sooner than possible. Oh what he would love for a good deep cover op right now so he could hide from everything. But he knew even if he did return Bates would have him on desk duty until he got his head on straight. If it ever goes straight again. He really didn't know if it would. How was he going to go on without G? No. Stop. Make the call go home. And try your hardest not to think of anything. Because right then it hurt far too much to do anything else.

"Bates." Came the snap down the phone after the third ring tone. By the sounds of it he hadn't checked the caller ID before he had answered, but Deeks was fine with that. It was more normal this way, made it so he could almost forget the surreal conversation he and his lieutenant had had the day before.

"Hey. Umm. G's awake." Deeks managed to get out. Sure the sentence was disjointed but he was sure that Bates would forgive him for that right now.

"That's good news. How's he doing?" Bates asked his tone instantly changing when he realised who was calling and why. He hoped the coma and the shooting hadn't damaged G Callen any more than the physical. He really hoped he wasn't brain damaged in anyway. He didn't think Deeks would be able to cope with that on top of everything else he had on his plate right now.

"Good, I think." Deeks answered with a sigh. In truth he hadn't really listened to anything the doctors had said, too busy being dazed by the fact that G was back and he would be able to get answers soon. Of course that hadn't happened. Why did he ever think G would just tell him? He had kept the truth from him for four years, why the hell did he think he would just reveal it all as soon as he woke up?

"You think? Go back in there and find out boy. That's would you should be doing, not talking to me." Bates responded in disbelief that Deeks had taken time away from the man he loved to call him. What was he thinking?

"It's not that easy lieutenant." Deeks replied tiredly. He was so done with all of this. He just wanted to close his eyes and find it had been a really vivid horrible nightmare. Wanted to wake up in bed with the man he loved in his arms. He didn't want this to be his life anymore.

"Why not?" Bates asked frowning down the phone, trying to work out what had caused such a defeated tone of voice to appear in one of the most tenacious detectives he knew.

"Because trying to get answers out of G Callen is like pulling teeth." Deeks murmured, not really thinking about what he was saying or to who. If he had been, he knew those words wouldn't have come out of his mouth. It was just, his brain seemed to have stopped, finally.

"Deeks, nothing worth having is ever easy. But that doesn't mean you give up at the first hurdle. Now go back to the man you love and sort it out." with that Bates hung up the phone without giving Deeks a chance to reply.

With was a good thing, because Deeks was no longer listening, or even had the phone to his ear. Because the words Bates had just spoken to him resonated with something in his mind. Now he had stopped thinking about the betrayal, his mind was thinking about other things. Namely just how easy it was being with G. How they used to lie on the couch together talking about everything and nothing or watching a crappy movie that they never usually saw the end of. How they would sit down for breakfast whenever they were both home, laughing and smiling, and just enjoying each other company. How they had gone for walks on the beach and he had even managed to get G to surf a couple of times, though he usually preferred just to watch Deeks. He remembered just how easy it had been for him to fall in love with the man he had met getting the crap beaten out of him in an alley. The man who always looked at him with love and devotion every day that they were together.

Of course their relationship wasn't always sunshine and roses. Nothing is ever that perfect, they fought just like any other couples do. In fact the main one they had ever had had been about his decision to become an undercover cop. He was adamant about his career change, and G was just as adamant that he shouldn't do it. Looking back Deeks now wondered what his reasons for that were. At the time he had assumed that G was worried about him, being the protective boyfriend he knew him to be… the conversation he had apparently had with Bates definitely pointed in that direction. But now Deeks wondered if it was because G didn't want them running into each other if ever their cases crossed over. If his insistence that Deeks don't do it was so he could keep his secrets.

Suddenly Deeks eyes flew open and his head raised from where it had been resting on the steering wheel. He didn't remember putting it there while he was thinking, but that didn't matter. Because he had just made a startling realisation.

The reason G didn't want him become undercover didn't matter. In fact if it was to keep his secret then that would be even better. Because that argument Deeks had won. It had raged for days, G trying persuasion and then the silent treatment, but in the end it had been G that caved not him. Because he didn't stop. He never stopped raising it, making G hear his arguments even when he knew he didn't want to. This was no different. If he wanted G to tell him the truth, to answer his questions, he would have to keep asking them until the other man was sick of them and snapped out the answers he wanted to hear. Because as much as he loved G, he also knew exactly how to get under his skin. That is as long as it hadn't all been a lie. But he believed G loved him, he had said he did and he accepted that. Which meant his plan was going to work.

With that thought in mind he quickly climbed back out of his car and made his hurried way towards G's room. He had questions he needed to ask again and again and again. He wouldn't stop asking them until he got answers. And as he walked towards the door he smiled as he silently bet himself just how long his partner would manage to hold out. He was betting that by the time his two weeks leave was over, he would know every.

* * *

Walking towards the door of G's room Deeks was pulled out of planning his questions by hearing voices coming from the open door. He guessed it was Sam, he knew the older guy would come that morning though he was rather surprised that he had somehow missed seeing him arrive. But that didn't matter. What did was he was in there with G. Deeks stopped just outside the door, wondering if it would be possible to interrupt, or wherever Sam was trying to get the answers out of his partner as Deeks himself was planning. Because if he was there for that, then he would walk away. Sam deserved to know the truth just as he did. Finding out that the only reason G was alive had certainly changed Deeks' impression of his boyfriends partner, and as the guy watching G's back, he shouldn't have lied to him either. So Deeks stood and listened, trying to find out what it was the two agents were saying to each other.

"That makes more sense that you think G. It really does." Deeks heard Sam say. He wasn't sure what he was saying it too, but it sounded very much like he had managed to get answers from him. That hurt. The idea that G would tell Sam why he lied but not him. What was so different between him and the big guy? Was it because he was only a cop and G didn't think he would understand? Or was it because G cared more for his partner than he did for him? Wanted to keep Sam in his life more than he did Deeks? Why was he continuing to not answer him but answering Sam, damn it?

Deeks was just straightening up to march through the door and demand G tell him the answer to those questions if not all the rest he had, but before he could move he heard Sam speak again.

"Why'd you lie to Deeks?"

Those words took the wind completely out of his sails, and while Deeks had a plan to find the answer to that, he couldn't stop himself from holding his breath. Wondering if G would answer Sam in this as he hadn't him. Wondering if the bond between the two men was strong enough he would be able to get the answer just by listening to them. Though that thought caused the pain he had earlier to spear through him ten times as painfully. Hurt at the idea G trusted Sam more than him, and jealously of the relationship the two partners obviously had together. Deeks had thought he had that with G, but it seemed he didn't. In fact he didn't have that sort of relationship with anyone he now realised. He was alone. But before he could dwell on that further the conversation inside continued.

"Do you know how he and I met?" why was G asking that?

"Yeah, Deeks told us while you were out. He said that you were getting a beat down from the Russian mob and he saved your ass."

"He certainly did that. What he doesn't know, what no one knows, is that that night I made a conscious decision. When I was made, I decided not to fight." At those words Deeks had to put a hand over his mouth to stop any sound from coming out. Because he suddenly realised if things had been different, if he had stayed for the extra beer some of the guys wanted him too, or if he had decided to drive home, he wouldn't have been saving G's ass from a beating. He would have been investigating his murder.

Oh god, G could have been dead. He could have first seen the body of the man he loved lifeless, beaten to death in a back alley. He would have become one of the many cases that never got closed. And Deeks would have never known him, would never have had this amazing man in his life. There would be no happy easy relationship memories for him to think about. Because he would never have met the man who completed him. The man who helped shape into the man he was today.

Deeks had to force himself to breath steadily and slowly, not wanting to hyperventilate and pass out, or let the two people in the room know he was there. He needed to hear what else G had to say, because those words… the idea G could be dead, threw all other thoughts out of his mind. He needed to know why… and he needed to know that G did not feel that way anymore. That he wouldn't go and get himself killed on his next mission. Because that was something Deeks knew he wouldn't be able to deal with. G Callen could not die. It was as simple as that. With that in mind he tuned back into the conversation in the room.

"Do you know what I did for the CIA? I inserted myself into the vilest cesspits of the world and cosied up to the leaders, removing anyone who stood in my path. I was damn good at it too. But all I ever saw was darkness and evil. Pain and suffering that I had to help cause for the greater good. I was so tired of it all, so tired of the death and destruction that I saw every day of my life. So tired of how the darkness was consuming me, turning me into one of them. So when I was made and pulled outside to that alley all I could think was that I finally had a way out. I was lying on the ground smiling at the idea that I was going to die because at least then I would have peace. But then I heard 'LAPD, freeze.' I couldn't believe it. I watched as the leader of the group moved towards the cop and I knew I couldn't let him get hurt. He was trying to protect me, the least I could do was return the favour, right? So I fought. For him. And I've been doing the same thing ever since. Fighting to protect him for all the darkness of the world, and most of all protecting him from the darkness inside myself. I can't let him know. I can't… I can't taint him with it."

"Oh G." Deeks whispered into the corridor. He could feel wetness at the corner of his eyes, knowing the tears had come from the emotions G had stirred up with that monologue. He was the reason G kept fighting? He couldn't quite believe that he had that much power over the man he loved. Why the hell didn't the fool realise that he himself was worth fighting for? He wasn't the same man he had rescued from that alley, just as he wasn't the same man who had done the rescuing. They had both changed over the years, for better or for worse. But he knew one thing, and that was that G Callen was worth so much more than it seemed he thought he was. And when Sam spoke, his sentiment was pretty much the same as that going through Deeks mind, and he was glad. He just hoped it got through the man who they both cared for so very much.

"G. You're not that guy any more. You don't do that crap anymore. You work for NCIS, you work with me. Sure we go undercover, but it's not the same and you know it."

"It's still there though, inside me. What I have done. I killed people Sam, and not in the way that it was me or them, but because they got in my way or because I was ordered to. But … Marty… he is so full of light, you know? He protects people. He fights to save people. He is everything good and wonderful and bright in this world. He is everything I'm not."

Deeks let out a small cynical laugh at that. G really didn't have a clue did he? Well it seemed it was time to show him just how wrong he was. No one was perfect. No one could do the job they did and not touch the darkness. It was time for him to interrupt this conversation and correct the assumption the man he loved seemed to have about him. He wasn't all unicorns and rainbows damn it. He was darkness and light and shades of grey, just as G himself was.

Therefore taking a deep breath he pushed himself off of the wall he had been leaning against and walked through the door, though only so far as to lean against its frame. He wasn't sure he was up to standing straight after all he had heard. But pushing that from his mind he spoke in a conversational tone as his eyes stared hard at the man in the bed, wondering if what he had heard had changed how he would look to him now.

"You know, that pedestal you have me on is pretty damn high. I'm surprised I don't have vertigo."

"Marty." G whispered his eyes going wide as he registered who was standing in the doorway. Then widened even more when he realised what he had said and therefore implied. Marty had heard what he had said… but how much? How much did he know of what he had told Sam? How many of his secrets had he just revealed to the one person he never wanted to know them?

* * *

Sam knew his partner was trying to work out what Deeks had heard, but he hoped it had been a hell of a lot. He hoped Deeks had heard G tell him why he lied to him. It was time these two didn't have any secrets between them. And while he knew he was still pissed at his partner for lying, he knew that they would be good again in time. Especially once he got G in the training ring for that sparing session. And hey, he didn't even hate Deeks anymore. Sure the guy irritated him no end, but he was willing to try and find out what it was about him that G loved so much. He was open minded enough to give him a chance and get to know him. He had a feeling that he would be seeing a lot more of the kid from now on. He could deal with that. For G he could deal with anything. With that realisation he stood as he spoke in the silence that had descended upon the three of them.

"Well I'd better get to work. I'll see you later G. Deeks." and with that he walked out of the door, leaving the two men behind to work it out between them.

When Sam left Deeks moved into the room, pulling the door closed behind him. He didn't want any eve droppers to this conversation. It needed to be between him and G only.

Once the door was closed, rather than make his way over to the bed he instead walked over to the window, staring out at LA scene spread below him. He was trying to work out where to start talking, wondering what it was he needed to tell the man he loved for him to see the truth. That they were no different, and he was definitely not any better than the man lying in the hospital bed behind him.

"My dad used to beat the crap out of my mom and me. Did you know that?" He asked turning to face G as he half perched, half leant against the window frame, holding it tightly so he wouldn't reveal the tension coursing through his body at the words he was about to say.

"No, Marty I -" Callen started to say, not sure how he was going to finish that sentence, but the idea that someone had hurt the man he loved… he really didn't like that. If he ever met Marty's dad he was gonna have to kill him.

"I was eleven when he stopped. Want to know why?" Deeks asked but he didn't stop and give G time to reply. He just went on talking. "He beat my mom unconscious and was holding a shot gun on the both of us. So I shot him. Only in the shoulder, but still, I pulled the trigger. I was eleven and I shot my father."

"Because you were protecting yourself and your mom. It was the right thing to do Marty." Callen replied. He couldn't believe that at that age Marty had had the courage to do that. That he had been brave enough to stand up for himself and his mom in such a way. Callen knew many others who wouldn't have been, himself included. At eleven he hid from the violent foster parents, and he let others take the beating mean for him. Marty really was a better man than he could ever be.

"Yeah, that's the conclusion the cops came to too. He was sent to prison and me and my mom were free. For the first time in my life, we were free." Deeks responded smiling gently as he ran his hand through his hair, remembering how it felt not to have that man in his life.

"Is that why you became a lawyer and a cop?" Callen asked. It all made so much more sense now. He never had really believed that whole he became a cop because of a TV show thing.

"Mainly, yeah. I wanted to help people." Deeks shrugged simply. Though the TV shows had had a part to play in it. He hadn't lied to G, he had never lied to him.

"And you do. Nothing you've said is telling me you don't deserve your 'pedestal', and nothing will ever change my mind that you are better than me Marty." Callen replied simply. If anything the words he had just told him showed him he was an even better man than he had believed.

At that Deeks sighed. It seemed he needed to tell G more. He needed to reveal his deepest secret, the one he held so close to his heart. The one he had never told anyone.

"Do you remember my first partner?" He asked this time waiting for G to rely. Waiting to see how much he listened to what he had told him so long ago.

"Detective Bolye?" Callen asked with disgust in his tone. Marty had told him enough about the man for him to know he wasn't the kind of guy he ever wanted to meet. And was especially not the kind of man he wanted having his lovers back.

"Yeah him. He was a dirty son of bitch. I pulled him up when he was using excess force on suspect, you know what he did? He put his loaded gun to my mouth and threaten to pull the trigger if I ever did anything like that again." Deeks replied. That was not what he intended to say, but he was here to share his secrets, and that meant all of them.

"I'm going to kill him." Callen growled, pulling himself up into a sitting position, intent on the idea of climbing out of his bed and fulfilling his words. He would hunt the bastard through LA and then put a bullet in his brain. He was dead.

"No need. I already did." Deeks replied, chuckling slightly at how G was behaving. This was why he hadn't told him about the incident at the time. He didn't trust the man he loved not to go and get himself arrested for hurting a cop. Of course now he knew G could have probably managed to kill him and no one would have ever known it was him. Ah the irony of life.

"What?" Callen asked confused. What did Marty mean he already did? Did Bolye die in a raid of something and Marty felt he hadn't had his back? Because Callen could think of no other reason why the man he loved would believe himself to be a killer.

"I shot him with his own gun, right through the heart. He was beating up a prostitute and it was a case of her or him. But that doesn't make it right. I murdered him. I did a wrong thing for the right reason, but it was still wrong." Deeks finally said, baring the biggest secret he had to the man he loved. The one he knew would understand, he just hoped he would also see that it made them in some ways the same.

Callen couldn't believe what he heard. Though thinking about it, seeing the situation, he knew that what Marty did was exactly what he would expect him to do. He had saved the innocent, even if in doing so made himself a criminal. Marty would always choose saving someone over his own life. It was one of the things Callen loved so much about him, as well as being one of the things he feared the most. That the day would come where Marty had made the ultimate sacrifice for those he has sworn to protect.

"You made the right choice." He finally replied with a smile, holding out his hand for the man he loved, hoping he would come to him. He could see the fear and worry in his eyes, and he wanted it gone. He wanted his Marty back, the man he loved.

And Deeks seeing the hand did the only thing he could do. He moved away from the window and sat next to G linking their fingers and holding tight as he spoke.

"I know. But don't you see? I'm not some saint G, I'm just a man. Just like you."

Deeks said that with such conviction that Callen knew he couldn't say anything to change his mind. Just as he knew deep down he would never be able to view himself on the same level as Marty. But maybe they could move closer, maybe they could find something new, where there were no lies between them. No more secrets in the hopes of protecting the other. And as he thought that Callen realised something had shifted inside him. He had never intended to tell Marty the truth. About what he had done and still did, but now that it was out in the open something settled inside of him and it was like some weight had been lifted from his shoulder. Like a shadow that he hadn't even known had always been over them, was finally gone. With that in mind and smile on his lips Callen found his eyes closing and he once more drifted off into a healing sleep.

And Deeks watching him couldn't stop a smile of his own appearing. They had a long way to go before everything was cleared up, but they had passed the first hurdle, he now knew the truth and why G had lied. And hey, love wasn't a sprint. He was in this for the long run, and he was ready to cross all that was still to come. To work with the man he loved to find out where they were now, and where it was they were going to go.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello my darlings. I would like to thank anonkp, DS2010, wonderworldofmine, French fan (Guest), Petunia3116, LKK (Guest), elsje1967 and tgMoony for the wonderful reviews, you are all amazing. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **So here is the next chapter, I hope you like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

The next time Callen woke he was glad to find Marty still at his side, still holding his hand. It gave him hope that there was a future for them after all. Because while he had been sleeping, his brain it seemed, had been in overdrive. It had realised that now Marty knew the truth, there was no way he wanted to let go of the man he loved. Ever. So now he had to work out what he needed to do to get Marty back, find out what his lover needed for them to return to how they used to be. The way he wanted them to be again.

"Hey Marty, you stayed." He said blinking his eyes open as all these thoughts inundated his mind. But none of them really registered as much as that one.

"I did. Good sleep?" Deeks asked smiling at the man he loved. He had always enjoyed watched G sleep, not that he got the chance very often. The guy hardly ever actually slept for more than a couple of hours at a time. But as the had time past, while he had sat at his side and watched him, all that they were going to have to overcome had been bombarding his mind. It was scary how much they were going to have to get past if they were going to remain together. And he really hoped they would come out of this still together. Oh man, he really hoped for that.

"Yeah. I don't think I've slept this much since… well ever actually." Callen answered smiling sleepily as he tried to pull himself up into a sitting position, only to wince as he felt the stitches across his chest pull at the movement.

"Tell me about it. It's not often I get to watch you dream." Deeks replied as he moved without thought to grab the control of the bed before raising the head so G wasn't lying down but sitting up, without having to cause himself any pain or further injury. Though as he sat back down he did not return his hand to G's, and instead rested them on the arm of his chair. Something the man lying in the bed was painfully aware of.

"Thanks." Callen said gently smiling into the man he loved's eyes. He knew he didn't deserve to get to hold Marty's hand, and he was in awe that he would unconsciously help him after all he had learnt. Hell, he was still surprised that Marty wanted anything to do with him now he knew the truth. But maybe he was just there because he was in hospital? Was it possible that Marty was staying purely out of pity? He knew how big a heart Marty had, and he knew that he would stay to make sure he was okay even if he did want to end what they had. Oh god, please don't let him have lost the man he loved. Not now the truth was out there. So taking a deep breath Callen decided the best way to find the answers to the questions that were crowding his mind was to ask.

"What's gonna happen now Marty?" He asked quietly, half hoping the other man wouldn't hear so he wouldn't have to hear the answer.

The question was greeted with silence as Deeks thought over what he wanted to say. His immediate response was to reassure G that everything was gonna be fine, but he knew that if he did that it would be a lie. He didn't want to hurt the man who still had so much recovery to go through, but he also couldn't lie to him because he was injured. They needed nothing but the truth between them now. Therefore with a sigh he finally answered looking out into space rather than at the man in the bed next to him. "I don't know. I love you G, I really do… but you lied to me for four years. That's helluva long time. And I honestly don't know if I'll ever be able to trust you again. And I don't know if there is anything you can do to make me do so."

"I understand." Callen replied with a nod, trying to keep the desolation out of his voice. Marty didn't trust him, and because of that he had lost him. He had lost the best thing to ever happen to him by lying and keeping secrets. Why did he ever think it would be any different? He was pulled out of his morose thoughts by Marty speaking once more.

"But if you love me, I'm willing to give it a try."

At those words Callen's head shot up and he stared at the man in front of him, eyes wide at the idea that he was willing to give him a second chance, give them a second chance. It was one he would not pass up for anything.

"I do love you Marty, with all my heart." Callen said with such sincerity it caused a lump to form in Deeks throat. He had believed G when he told him he had loved him before, but it never hurt to hear it again. It gave him hope for the future, for them.

"Okay then. But we can't go back to how we used to be G, I can't just fall back into that. It's gonna take time and you answering all the questions I have. Just as I'll answer anything you ask about me. We need to get to know each other again, or maybe properly for the first time." He said laying down the rules right of the bat. He needed the other man to know he wouldn't accept any more lies or platitudes from him. From here on out the truth was the only thing that would work to regain his trust in the man he loved.

"I get it. Slow and steady wins the race. And I'll tell you anything I can, but some of the things in my work life are classified." Callen replied hoping that that those words wouldn't cause Marty to change his mind. He wished he could tell him everything, but he couldn't give up all the secrets he held, not even for the man he loved.

"I won't ask you to betray our country G, I promise. But I do want to know what makes you tick." Deeks responded smiling with understanding. There were parts of his work he couldn't share with the other man any more than he could share them with him. He understood the concept of need to know in their line of work, where one wrong word could mean discovery and pain or worse death.

"Good luck with that, not sure even I know the answer to that one." Callen answered with a chuckle that made him wince once more. Damn the bullet holes. They were really starting to piss him off.

"You up for starting now?" Deeks asked his hand automatically going to towards the man in the bed when he saw him wince, though it fell short of its intended target when he realised what he was doing. This conversation was one it would be best to have without having any physical contact, he still wasn't sure where they were. What they were to each other, or if G was going to tell him the truth that he was demanding. Only one way to find out of course.

"Sure what do you want to know?" Callen asked settling his head back against the pillow so he could look Marty in the eyes. It was time to prove his new resolution to them both. No more lies.

Deeks thought for a second after that question, wondering where to start. It was then he remembered what it was he had discovered in G's other apartment. The things that had caused him so many questions and so much pain.

"Well, first off, I was wondering what you were doing with a safe full of money and fake passports for both of us in your apartment, not to mention the unregistered firearms." He asked crossing his arms and not even trying to hide the disapproval from his tone.

"You found that?" Callen asked in surprise his eyebrows raising, though before the other man could reply he continued. "Of course you did. You are far too good at your job. Plus you're the only person other than me who would be able to work out the code. Okay. That stuff is my escape plan. If I'm ever compromised, or anything for the past comes back to bite me in the ass, those passports and money will get us out of the country quickly." He explained simply. He had thought it would be obvious, but maybe it wasn't to the LAPD detective the way it was to the former spy.

"How exactly were you gonna get me to use a fake passport, without telling me what you did for a living?" Deeks asked tilting his head in confusion as he saw the major hole in G's plan. Though another part of him wondered just what convoluted lie G would have come up with to get him to go along with his plan. He didn't for a second think he didn't have one. I mean, this is the guy who had gone to the trouble of getting not one, but five fake passports for him. He was the eponymy of being prepared.

"Well obviously if I had to use that stuff, then I would have to tell you." Callen answered forcing himself not to shrug. In truth he had never really thought about that part of the plan. Or more to the point hadn't wanted to think about it. Mainly because he never wanted to consider a time when he could put Marty in danger in that way.

"And if I refused to go with you?" Deeks asked determined to get the truth from the man in front of him. To find out what lie he would have used then.

"I would have probably knock you out and not give you a choice?" Callen answered honestly. I mean what did he think he was gonna do? Though thinking about it would probably have been better if he had made a proper plan just in case. At least now he wouldn't have to, if anything ever happened. You know, like being gunned down on Venice beach for instance. Hmm, he needed to make sure that Marty was safe. He would have to speak to Sam and Hetty about giving Marty some sort of protection while he was indisposed. He did not want whoever had done this to him to go after the man he loved. He couldn't cope with that happening, ever.

"Kidnapping? Really? Wow. I did not expect that." Deeks blinked in reply running his hand through his hair. He wanted to say that G was obviously joking, but he knew he wasn't. He knew his protective streak, and he knew he would do anything he needed to do to make sure he was out of danger. But seriously, kidnapping? Wasn't that a little extreme, even for G?

"I would prefer to kidnap you than leave you behind, especially if there was any chance I would be leaving you in danger. I would prefer you to hate me for the rest of our lives than let any harm come to you. So yeah, I would kidnap you, and do anything else I needed to keep you safe." Callen stated in a forceful tone as if what he was saying was perfectly acceptable.

Deeks couldn't help but shake his head at that. "It seems I'm learning new things about you already." He muttered wondering just what he had gotten himself into in this conversation. Wondering if he really wanted to know to what extent G would go to make sure he was safe.

"I'm not going to lie to you, not anymore." Callen replied praying that Marty believed him. That he saw the honesty in his eyes.

"I can see that." Deeks answered still in shock at what he had just heard, and how easily G had spoken the words. He hadn't for one minute thought G was lying to him. I mean, who the hell would lie about this?

This was followed by silence as Callen let Deeks try to process all he had just said, though in truth in really wanted to know what was going through the other man's mind. He wanted to make sure he hadn't messed up his second chance already, even if it wasn't by lying but telling the truth. So taking a deep breath he decided to move this along.

"Right then, next question."

"I'm still getting my head around your answer to the last one thanks." Deeks replied but Callen could hear the humour running through his tone. From that he knew he still had a chance, no matter how long it took Marty to process all he said. He still had his chance.

"Is it really that surprising?" he asked with a raise of his eyebrow and smirk on his face. I mean surely Marty knew he was somewhat protective of him, right?

"That you would resort to knocking me out and somehow smuggling me out of the country unconscious? Yeah, a little bit. I mean I knew you were protective, but isn't that a touch extreme?" Deeks asked still not sure how to think about what he had been told.

"Not from where I'm lying, you know in a hospital bed with five bullet holes in me." Callen replied instantly. He needed Marty to understand the danger he could be in, and that he could never cope if anything happened to him.

"But that wasn't case related, was it?" Deeks asked frowning now. Sam said they had just finished one. That they weren't working when this happened. So how did that have any bearing on the conversation they were having?

"I have no idea, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't random. I was targeted by someone, for some reason. My job and previous career is the top of that list in my mind." Callen answered simply. He had made so many enemies in his life, he would not be surprised if it was one of them come to finish him off for what he had done to them.

"Okay, maybe you have a point but… kidnapping?" Deeks asked, his mind was still stuck on the lengths G would go to keep him safe. The way he thought wasn't one that Deeks himself had ever even considered. It was a completely different mind-set, and he wasn't sure if this was what being an undercover federal agent did to you, or if it was just G.

"I promise I will not kidnap you unless it is in extreme circumstances. That okay?" Callen asked trying to look sincere but failing to keep the smirk from his face at how ambiguous those words were. Extreme circumstances could mean anything.

"I think we need to define extreme circumstances as more life of death situations only." Deeks replied dryly seeing the smirk and knowing exactly what was going thought the other man's mind.

"I'm fine with that." Callen agreed smiling even more. Life and death situations happened all the time to cops. Therefore this gave him the perfect excuse to track his lover and pull him out whenever it got too bad. At least it did in his mind. Oh yes, that was a great plan.

"Extreme life or death situations G. And by that I do not mean some poxy gang-banger holding a gun against my head, okay?" Deeks amending narrowing his eyes at the man in front of him. He may not be sure how much he actually knew about G, but he was always able to find the loopholes in all he said. It was a lawyer in him, always ready to read the fine print in G's eyes.

"But that seems like a life of death situation to me." Callen argued not liking the idea of someone holding a gun to Marty's head, whoever it was. In fact he was pretty sure if he ever saw that he might just have to kill them.

"But it's one I can handle and does not require you kidnapping me to save me. Got that? Why are we even discussing this? How has this conversation suddenly become normal in my life?" Deeks muttered shaking his head as he leaned back in his chair wondering how they got from him asking G questions to discussing when it would be okay for him to kidnap him. What the hell was going on?

"You asked for honesty?" Callen suggested, but he couldn't stop the gentle smile that appeared on his face as he watched the man he loved. He hadn't told him he couldn't kidnap him, just that he had to have a justifiable reason to do so. He could live with that. Marty, it seemed, had accepted this part of him, the part that always wanted to protect the detective with everything he had, but then he guessed he knew it had always been there.

"Any other measures you feel the need to take in concerns to my safety I should know about?" Deeks asked sitting up and staring at G. Wondering if he would tell him of his conversation with Bates, or any others he might have had with those he worked with.

"Nope. I mean I've already threatened your boss if you get hurt so-" Callen replied making Deeks smile. He had told him the truth, hadn't tried to hide it or lie like he could have. It was definitely a step in the right direction.

"Yeah Bates told me about that, though he was under the impression you were threatening his career rather than his life." Deeks interrupted with a chuckle of his own at how Bates had misread G's intention. Of course he would have presumed the same before he found out the truth about the man he loved.

"Whichever motivates him the most to keep you safe." Callen answered sounding smug making Deeks narrow his eyes once more.

"No killing my boss, or threatening my colleagues of any kind. Got that?" He stated, wondering what he life was coming to that he actually had to say those words out loud and not have them taken as a given.

"But now am I going to make sure they keep you safe?" Callen asked with a frown of his own now. Not that he wanted to hurt Marty's boss, or threaten his co-workers. He just couldn't allow the idea that he could be hurt.

"You let them do their jobs G. It's what we do. I haven't threaten to kill Sam if anything happens to you. That is because I trust him to have your back. You need to trust the people I work with to do the same. Please." Deeks replied in a voice better suited to talking to a child. But he needed G to see that he was capable of doing his job, and he had people who would back him up, just as G himself did. Of course Deeks also conveniently forgot that he had threatened Sam while G was in his coma. But hey, that was after the fact anyway, not before. And if he had another little chat with the agent when G went back to work, that wouldn't be a threat, more a gentle reminder to look after the man he loved. Perfectly reasonable.

"Fine." Callen conceded, though he was thinking that he would rather like to hear Deeks threaten Sam, it could be highly entertaining in his mind.

"Good." Deeks nodded deciding that that was the end of that conversation, and therefore relaxing back in his chair as his hand moved without conscious thought to entwine his fingers with G's. "Have you always been this crazy?" He asked in a conversational tone and his usual sunny smile on his face so G would know he was joking, sort of.

"When it comes to you, maybe." Callen replied closing his fingers around Marty's and holding on tight.

With that they fell into a comfortable silence as they both processed all they had discussed and covered in the first of what they both knew, would be many conversations to find the truth of who they were and what they meant to each other, and most importantly of all in Callen's mind, conversations he hoped would give Marty enough that he would be able to trust him again. Give them a chance to be together again. He didn't care how long it took, as long as that possibility was at the end of the tunnel he would wait forever for the man he loved to return to him.

Deeks on the other hand found his mind filled with all he had heard, all G had told him, and more importantly, to him at least, how the man he loved hadn't spoken one lie. It was definitely a good start. It made him believe that someday soon he would know the real G Callen, and he knew that when he did he would love him as much as he loved him know. His love was not in question, he just needed to relearn to trust the man who held his heart. And what better way than getting to know the real him?


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello my darlings. I would like to thank Reader (Guest), Scififan33, Petunia3116, french fan (Guest), elsje1967 and raspberry dreams for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have favoured and followed since my last update.**

 **So here is the next chapter, sorry it took so long. Anyway I hope you like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

Hetty was sat at her desk trying to concentrate on the paperwork she was organising to transfer the OSP to its new home, though her mind regularly found itself focused on the agent who was currently in hospital. She wanted to go and see him.

After Callen had woken, she had left Detective Deeks to it, realising that the younger man had more right than she did to be there. Not to mention he no doubt had many questions he wanted answered. It was this reason she had not stopped by on her way to work that morning. Deciding instead to give the couple time to talk. She just hoped Mr Callen did in fact share his secrets with Martin Deeks. Shared with him why he had lied and kept this side of his life away from the man he loved. But she knew there was a possibility that he would not. She knew her boy well enough to know that. Well enough to know that he could possibly be stupid enough to think Mr Deeks would be better off without him rather than knowing the truth in his heart. If he had made that decision she was going to have a serious talk with him.

Oh bugger. She needed to know what was going on at the hospital. She had seen Sam arrive, and he had seemed calmer than she had seen him since the shooting. She wondered if he had gone to speak to Callen, but she hadn't asked him. It was not her place to interrogate her boys partner. No the person she needed to interrogate was the one in the hospital. Oh, this was getting her nowhere. With that realisation she stood up, collected her bag before leaving her office. It was time to get answers to her questions.

* * *

Arriving at Callen's hospital room she at least found one answer. From the way Mr Deeks was sat holding Mr Callen's hand and the relaxed posture he had as he watched her boy sleep, she presumed that they had talked. That was good. Her main worry on the way over had been the idea of arriving to find Callen alone. She was glad that that wasn't the case. Walking into the room she smiled at the detective as she moved to take the seat on the opposite side of the bed.

"Mr Deeks, why do you not go home? Get some food and rest. I will watch over Mr Callen for you." She said as she turned from running a professional eye over the sleeping agent in the bed, making sure everything was as it should be.

"No its okay. I'm fine." Deeks replied without thought. He knew he was tired and hungry, and he really wanted a shower. But now he and G had talked, had started to work things out, he didn't want to leave him. Didn't want the man he loved to suddenly change his mind about telling him his secrets because he wasn't there when he woke up… or his worst possible fear, to come back to the hospital to find G no longer there. That he had been whisked away because of his super-secret government job. Okay he knew that was very unlikely to happen and that his mind was going rather fanciful, and yes sure that could well be due to the lack of sleep thing, but…

"You and I both know that is a lie. He will not be pleased to know you are not taking care of yourself." Hetty responded with censure in her tone as she gave Deeks her patented stare that had most of her staff running for the hills. Well everyone expect Mr Callen of course.

Deeks opened his mouth to reply, trying to think of some other reason why he should not leave G's side. But before he could a third voice joined their conversation.

"She's right you know. Go get some sleep Marty. I'll see you tomorrow." Callen said blinking his eyes open as he turned to the man holding his hand, and smiling into the face he loved so much. But now, after hearing Hetty's words he could see the shadows under his eyes. Marty needed rest. The days he had been in a coma had no doubt been trying on him, especially with everything he had found and learnt. He needed time to process everything. Callen did not want Marty making himself ill because of him. That was not acceptable in his mind.

"Fine, I know when I'm not wanted." Deeks cheekily responded before his eyes softened as he stared at the man in the bed next to him. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I love you, Marty." Callen murmured quietly as he stared into those blue eyes which always seemed to sparkle with light and love. Always made him feel surrounded by all that was good in the world. Always managed to drive back the darkness inside him.

"I love you too, G." Deeks replied before leaning forwards and gently kissing him. It was nothing more than a brush of lips, less a kiss and more a promise of what could be, when he could once more trust the man who had his heart. It was a promise Callen understood and one he swore to himself he would do everything in his power to make a reality.

* * *

Once Deeks had left Hetty turned to smile at her agent in the bed.

"Well it seems everything worked out well between you too."

"Yeah, not so much." Callen replied closing his eyes briefly. He didn't want to remember what had happened earlier that morning. When he had told Marty they were over. Of course so much had happened since then it seemed like days ago rather than only hours. He just hoped that everything worked out right. No it would all work out. He would gain back Marty's trust and they would be together again. He could not let any other outcome enter his head. This was one mission he could not fail.

"Care to explain?" Hetty asked raising her eyebrow at Callen. What had happened in the time she hadn't been here? Because from what she had just seen everything was fine. What was she missing?

"I didn't want to tell him why I lied. I didn't want him to know… but he overheard me telling Sam, so now he does." Callen replied with a sigh, knowing there was no way she wouldn't find out the truth. She was Hetty after all. She knew everything, and it was better if he was the one who told her, rather than her other, mysterious ways.

"And your relationship? Where does you lack of wishing to share place that?" Hetty asked determined to get to the bottom of this so she could help her boy get back with the one he loved. The one who was so very right for him. Yes, Mr Callen and Mr Deeks were perfect together in her mind.

"At the beginning again. He doesn't trust me Hetty, and I don't blame him. But somehow, for some reason he still seems to care. He's given me a chance to win his trust back. And I'm not going to fail. I can't lose him, not now he knows everything and still loves me. No way." Callen answered staring into the kind wise eyes of the closest thing he ever had to a mother. The eyes of the one person he knew he could trust, with anything and everything in his life, including the man he loved.

"Good. I like him." Hetty nodded with a smile. She was glad to see he was going to fight for his young man, not that that surprised her, but she was glad.

"Me too." Callen responded with a smirk making Hetty roll her eyes at his playful words before turning her mind to more practical things. She had spoken to Callen's doctor, and she knew he would likely to be out of the hospital soon. Of course taking into account that this was Mr Callen, he would probably be out rather sooner than the medical professionals would advise.

"So when you get out of hospital, where are you going to stay?" She asked. Because if he and Mr Deeks were starting from the beginning of their relationship, there was no way he could return to their shared home. And he could not go to his apartment in Venice either. That really did leave only one option in her mind. One she was all for if truth be told. At least with the plan she had formed in her mind she would be able to keep an eye on her boy as he recovered. Make sure he didn't overdo it or do anything stupid. Both being equal possibilities in her mind.

"Huh. Hadn't really thought about it. I'm sure I can find something." Callen replied with a shrug, though he winced as he did so. He still wasn't used to the whole not moving his shoulders because it caused pain thing. He really needed to start remembering he had been shot.

"Indeed you can. I have many spare rooms Mr Callen. You are more than welcome to use one temporarily." Hetty agreed with a serene smile, as if what she was saying was nothing more than a casual offer, though they both knew it was more than that. Just as they both knew that back to one of her many houses would be exactly where he would be going once he was released.

"Thanks, Hetty." Callen said sincerely at her words. He was glad he wouldn't have to spend time trying to find a motel or something like that while he was recuperating. And it would only be temporary, right? Just until he and Marty sorted things out and he could finally return home, right?

"Now, how are you going to win back your man?" Hetty asked changing the subject away from Callen's gratitude and towards the next practical thing she decided he needed to concentrate on. After all he would have plenty of time to implement a plan while he was off of work. It would keep his mind busy at any rate. And if that was busy, he was less likely to get into trouble.

"I haven't really thought about it. I mean we only just decided on this course of action." Callen replied in exasperation. She expected him to have a plan when he had spent most of the day asleep? Sure he was good, but he wasn't that good.

"Tsk Mr Callen, I thought I taught you better than that. You need a plan." Hetty stated frowning at him with mock disapproval, even while her own mind was working. Developing and rejecting ideas as quickly as they came to her. She would not let Callen lose the man he loved.

"What kind of plan would that be, Hetty?" Callen asked genuinely. He knew this woman well, and he knew she was already devising some way to get him and Marty back together. He wondered if he would get away with leaving all the thinking to her, but he doubted she would allow him to get away with that. Shame, he wasn't really firing on all cylinders right then, what with the pain meds he was on.

"You need to wow him. Buy him flowers, take him on dates, make him feel special." Hetty answered airily waving her hand around as if it was obvious.

"Who knew you were such a romantic." Callen responded cheekily as he smirked at the woman next to him, who didn't care that he had been shot five times when she swatted his arm as she replied.

"Behave or I'll make sure you are on desk duty and paperwork for the next year."

"Yes, Hetty." Callen agreed quickly. Desk duty was the worst, and he wouldn't put it past her to do it to.

"Good, now rest. You need to build up your strength." Hetty said in a gentler tone as she smiled softly at her boy in the bed. She had gotten the answers she needed for now, and she had plans to make everything turn out fine. Now all she needed was for Mr Callen to get better.

With that Callen closed his eyes once more, a smile firmly in place at her mothering attitude. It reminded him of how she had been when he was younger and he had lived with her. It seemed he was going to be doing that again. Of course the time frame for that visit would be determined by how well he could get Marty to trust him again. And as he lay there, on the brink of sleep he went over the suggestions Hetty had made, and he realised that they had all been good ones. He did need to wow Marty back to him. Because he loved him, and he couldn't lose him. Not now not ever.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello my darlings. I would like to thank tgMoony, raspberry dreams and DS2010, for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **So firstly sorry for the delay in this update. I had a bit of a block, but it make up for it I have written an extra-long chapter. I hope you like it.**

 **Also I know at the time this is based Macy is team leader at OSP, but I'm afraid I have kind of ignored her in this chapter. Sorry, but her character doesn't really fit into my story and she was only in the NCIS crossover/pilot so I felt I couldn't really do her justice.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

Callen woke the next morning to smell he was very familiar with, but it was one he certainly didn't associate with a hospital. Cracking he eyes open he was greeted by the best sight in the world. Marty smiling down at him, holding a take-out food tray in his hand. So that's where the smell was coming from. Without saying a word his hands started to reach out for the food only to find it pulled away from him making him frown at the man holding it with laughter in his eyes.

"Good morning to you to G. Yes, I have brought you my famous breakfast frittata, but you don't get it until you learn manners." Deeks said smirking when he saw the glare in the older man's eyes at how he was holding the food just out of his reach.

"Good morning Marty. I missed you. Please can I have the food now?" Callen answered with a sickly sweet smile on his face which made Deeks laugh out loud. But as he did so he also raised G's bed and pulled the table towards him so he could easily eat.

Once the carton was placed down with the cutlery Callen dived in like a man starving. This was his favourite food in the world. Marty was a good cook, but this was the best thing he made hands down.

And Deeks he just sat back with a smile on his face as he watched the one he loved devour the food he had made him. The truth was he had found it hard to sleep the previous night. He had too much going through his mind. All that he had discovered the previous day was swirling through his brain refusing to let it switch off. Therefore he had gotten up early and had been pottering around, trying to decide what to do. He had therefore cooked. It helped his mind settle, the movements of his hands helping him to organise all the information he had received. Letting him turn his mind to what he wanted to know next from the man he loved.

"Thanks. That was amazing, as always." Callen finally said sitting back once he had finished his breakfast.

"Well, have to make sure you keep your strength up don't I?" Deeks replied smiling down at G as he wondered how to turn the conversation to where he wanted it to go. He didn't want to sit there demanding answers, he liked just being with G. But there was so much he still needed to know, so many questions that he still needed answering before he could even contemplate trusting G again.

Callen lying there looked over at the younger man and saw the change in his eyes. A shadow appearing behind them even as he said the jokey words, and he knew that while it may have felt for a brief moment as if things were back to how they used to be, they were still far away from having that sort of comfortable relationship again. Therefore taking a deep breath he straighten up and turned the conversation to the serious side of what they now were.

"So, what do you want to know?" He asked in a tone that portrayed curiosity and nothing else. There was no censure in it, or reservation. He had promised to tell Marty everything and not to lie any more. It was a promise he would stick too, come hell or high water. He wanted Marty back and he was going to do everything in his power to do so.

"Tell me about the people you work with. I mean I know Sam and Hetty obviously, but I'm guessing there is more than just three of you at NCIS." Deeks answered. Now he knew the truth about what G did, he wanted to know about those he worked with. Wanted him to gossip about his colleagues with him as he had always done with G. Thinking about it now it should have surprised him how much G never talked about those he worked with. There really had been too many signs that G was keeping things from him that he ignored over the last four years. But not anymore. Now he wanted to know everything he could about how and who G spent his days with.

Callen was surprised by the request. It wasn't the one he had thought Marty would ask, I mean surely he had more questions about the lies he had told him over the last four years. But then he realised that he had never talked to the younger man about his work, obviously. No doubt he was curious. I mean this was the guy who told him everything he knew about his co-workers, and that was a lot. Hell he probably knew more about the people who worked for the LAPD than he did about some of the people who worked at NCIS. With that realisation he turned his mind to those closest to him at the office.

"Yeah there is. Though there is probably only three or four more people I work with regularly."

"Who are they and what do they do? If you can tell me that is." Deeks asked leaning forwards at G's words. Finally he was going to learn who it was that spent time with the man he loved when he wasn't with him.

"Well there's Renko. He's an old friend and he does what I used to do. Before I decided I wanted to stay in LA more. He does the deep cover ops, works mainly alone. But when he's in town we usually go for a beer and catch up. Then there's Kensi, agent Blye. She's the junior agent Sam and I have taken under our wing. She is a kick ass snipper and one hell of an agent. Eric is our tech operator, anything to do with computers and he can do it. He's saved our asses more than once with his knowhow. And finally there's Nate. He's our operational psychologist, I spend my time winding him up and avoiding answering any of his questions. It's a fun way to pass the time, especially in psych evals." Callen replied explaining the roles each member of the team held.

At his words Deeks just rolled his eyes. He didn't want job descriptions, he wanted people descriptions. It seemed he was going to have to be more pointed in his request.

"Okay, that tells me what they do, but what are they like? How did you and Renko become friends?" he asked sitting back realising that G wasn't just going to spill all their secrets in one go. Not because he thought he was keeping things from him, but more because that wasn't who G was. He wasn't the sort to gossip, that had always been Deeks' role in their relationship, the people person out of the two of them.

At his question Callen frowned, trying to think of a way to describe Renko. I mean he was just Renko. But finally he found some words he hoped would do the job. "We worked together on a couple of deep cover ops. We have a similar sense of humour and outlook on life I guess. Sam despairs when we're both in the office, saying he can only deal with one at a time."

"I think I would like to meet him. He sounds like someone I would get on with." Deeks replied wondering if it really was possible there was another G out there. Of course no one would ever be as good as his G, but the idea of someone who was like him… yeah he would like to meet that guy.

"Hmm. Not sure I want you to meet him, you might decide you like him more than me. I mean he has the same scruffy hair style you have." Callen responded automatically moving to deflect Marty from wanting to meet his friend. Not because he didn't want them to meet, but more because he still automatically wanted to keep his two lives separate.

"In that case, aren't I the one who should be worried?" Deeks asked with a twinkle in his eye as he said it. He knew what G was doing, and he wanted him to know he was okay with it, but he wouldn't let him get away with it. He could understand the reflex reaction, but it was something G needed to get over if they were ever going to go back to how they had been before. If they were going to get back together properly.

"No. He's nowhere near as pretty as you." Callen answered with a smirk, though there was a seriousness in his tone that Deeks didn't miss. It made him smile softly at the older man. He loved that G was trying to reassure him even when there was no need. He knew G wouldn't cheat on him, or at least he did now he corrected, remembered that awful moment on the beach when he had broken down thinking that G loved someone else.

"Why thank you. And Kensi, what about her?" He asked changing the topic to a safer ground. A junior female agent would not be a threat to either of them.

"She's fiery, and fierce. You don't cross Kensi and come out well the other side. She's a marine brat, so she's tough. But she is also intelligent. I think if you met her you would wind each other up in five seconds flat. Now that would be interesting actually. I might have to arrange it, just to see the sparks fly. It would entertain me while I'm recovering at any rate." Callen replied chuckling at the thought of the two of them together. With Marty being so laidback and chilled, and Kensi so highly strung. They would be fighting within minutes of meeting he was sure of it. Mainly because he knew Marty would take one look at her and decide it was his mission to get her to loosen up. Something Kensi would definitely not go for.

"I'm glad you think I can be your entertainment. I'm sure she would love me, all women do." Deeks replied with a superior tone and he shook out his hair as if he was in a shampoo commercial.

"Yeah, see that sentence alone would piss her off." Callen stated as if Marty had just proved his point. Which he had in way. It would be fun to see the two of them together. And he was sure once they got over the frosty first meeting they could end up the best of friends, they would complement each other well. In fact if they both worked for him he would make them partners.

"Please, I am adorable." Deeks replied as if it was a universally known fact. Because well it was, wasn't it?

"I agree, not sure she would. But I certainly do." Callen responded softly, reaching out to take Marty's hand in his own as he smiled lovingly at the man at his side. He really was far too adorable in Callen's mind.

Rather than say anything to G's words, Deeks squeezed his hand tight so he knew he heard and appreciated what he was saying. So he would know that the feeling was mutual. But now was not the time for loving words. There were still two people he needed to know about.

"And the wiz kid? What about him?"

"Eric? He is like a loveable puppy. Completely without artifice. I have no idea how his mind works, but I don't need to. He is your typical nerd, playing computers games all the time and refusing to wear trousers, ever. He's like the little brother of the team I guess. Oh and he loves to surf." Callen replied trying to think of how to describe Eric. He wasn't someone you would typically associate with undercover federal agents, but Callen couldn't imagine ops without him in it.

"I really have to meet him then. I could do with a surfing buddy." Deeks said his eyes lighting up at the idea of having found a kindred soul. He had tried to get G surfing, but he didn't seem that interested in it. Nor were any of the people he worked with. So finding out there was someone out there who enjoyed the waves as he did… oh yes, that was definitely someone he needed to get to know.

"Oh god, I would never see you again." Callen groaned at the idea of Marty and Eric out surfing every morning. He could picture it now. Waking up to a cold empty bed only to have both Eric and Marty descending upon him for breakfast and discussing the awesome surf they had experienced. His life was never going to be the same again.

"I think I can make time for you G." Deeks winked before returning to the conversation. "So that leave Nate. What's he like?" he asked wondering what G would tell him about the operational psychologist. He had had his fair share of psych evals when coming back from deep cover ops. But luckily he didn't have to spend much time with the shrinks outside of those. And considering how much G didn't like to talk, he couldn't see him getting on well with a guy's job it was to make him do so.

"Ernest, good at his job and he accepts that I don't like to talk. Not that that stops him trying to get me to do so. He's a good guy." Callen replied. Then something occurred to him that made him moan and lean back against the bed with closed eyes. Why didn't he realise this before now?

"What is it? You okay?" Deeks asked with worry on his face at G's behaviour. He looked as if he was in pain. He was already moving as if to stand so he could go get the doctor when G opened his eyes and looked at him with a resigned look in his eyes.

"I'm going to have to put up with him giving me sessions as part of my recovery." He grumbled. How could he have forgotten that? And as he would be staying with Hetty there would be no way he could get out of them. Damn it. He betted this was her plan all along. She knew how much he hated his psych evals.

"You only just realised that?" Deeks asked with a chuckle at how it was only now it was occurring to G that he would have to go through psych before he could go back to work.

"I had planned on avoiding him, but as I'll be staying at Hetty's I really won't have the chance." Callen replied through gritted teeth. He could see it now. Trapped in Hetty's plush house being asked how he felt. He so did not need that.

At G's words Deeks started and dropped the hand he was holding. What did he mean?

"You're staying at Hetty's?" He asked in an even tone of voice, not wanting any of the hurt he was feeling to show through.

"Well yeah. I mean… I thought what with us starting from the beginning it would be better. Just temporarily, until… well…" Callen replied trying to find the right words while cursing himself in his mind. He should have talked to Marty about it before he made the decision. It was just… he had thought it would be something Marty would want, but looking at the guy now he realised it really wasn't. He looked hurt, as if he had rejected him, and the truth was so far from that as you could get. He just wanted to give him space. That was what Marty wanted wasn't it? Space for them to get to know each other before rushing back into their relationship? right?

Deeks took a deep breath at G's words. It made sense, and it was what he had wanted. For them to get to know each other. It was just… he had spent the last few days thinking G would be coming back to him when he got out of the hospital. The idea he wouldn't hadn't crossed his mind once. But G was right. It was the sensible, logical thing to do. Even if his heart was telling him that sense and logic was a load of bull.

"No. That makes sense. Guess I didn't really think about that." He finally replied once he had got his feelings and his unruly heart under control. He needed to take his time with this. He needed to learn to trust G again before they went back to how it was.

"I can come home if would prefer." Callen offered, half hoping the younger man would agree, though he knew deep down inside that he wouldn't. Marty didn't trust him yet. He wasn't ready to accept him back, not yet.

"No. Stay at Hetty's. I can visit you there, and at least you'll have people around when I'm back at work." Deeks replied smiling as he reached out and retook G's hand determinedly. Everything would be fine, and at least he knew Hetty would take care of him. She loved G too after all.

"Right. When do you go back?" Callen asked. He had been taken aback by the thought of Marty returning to work, though he knew he shouldn't have been. I mean Marty couldn't have time off just because he was recovering from being shot now could he? He had a job to do, even if Callen knew he would miss having him there beside him as he got better.

"Bates gave me two weeks. So I have just over a week left." Deeks replied with a shrug not mentioning that Bates had told him he could take more time if he needed it. He wanted to get back to work, maybe he could help try and find out who had done this to G and why. Maybe Hetty would let him help out on the case… or maybe not. He imagined there were rules at NCIS about working cases you were personally involved in, just as there was at the LAPD.

"You planning any undercovers ops when you get back?" Callen asked, trying for a nonchalant tone, as if he was just wondering rather than trying to work out if he would lose the man he loved as soon as he returned to work. It was too soon for Marty and him to be separated for a long period of time in his mind. It would give Marty a chance to change his mind about them trying again. And that was something Callen really didn't want to risk, no matter what. He was already planning in the back of his mind to make a call to Bates and gently request he put Marty on light duty. Hmm, maybe he could get Hetty to help him persuade the man it was the best option for everyone.

"Nothing in the works. But you know how it is." Deeks answered with a shrug, though he would put money on the fact that Bates would keep him away from any of the deep cover or involved ops. He would give him a chance to get his head straight and sort out his relationship as much as he could. Of course Bates would claim it was because he couldn't be sure Deeks was ready to be in the game, but he knew it was because he wanted to help him out. Bates was good like that.

"Yeah, of course." Callen agreed, thinking through what he could say to Hetty to get her assistance.

And Deeks looking at him could see the calculated gleam in his eye. One he had seen before, but never really noticed. But now he knew what that look meant. G was planning something, and considering this is the guy who had threatened his boss when he gave him the job, he didn't want to think about what he would do to make sure Deeks didn't go deep cover right now. He knew he should be pissed about that, but he couldn't help but smile and find in rather sweet. It showed him just how much G wanted this to work out. How much he wanted them to be together. Therefore he decided it best to let G out of his misery, and save his boss from getting an earful from his partner and no doubt his boss.

"I doubt he'll put me on anything deep cover while you're still recovering. Nothing more than a couple days here and there I'm sure." He reassured, smiling inwardly at how his words removed the gleam and replaced it with relief.

"Hey, don't turn down work because of me. I know what your job means to you." Callen said, though his eyes were saying something very different to his mouth and he knew it as well as Deeks did. But hey, he had just woken from a coma, was it wrong to want the man he loved at his side while he recovered?

"G. Don't be stupid. I want to be with you. I want this to work." Deeks replied shaking his head at the other man for his rather lame attempt at trying to pretend he didn't mind if Deeks had to work deep cover.

"Okay." Callen agreed smiling and letting his relief take over the whole of him as he did so, dropping his attempt at manly indifference.

"Okay." Deeks nodded smiling back and then they both just sat there staring at each smiling. It wasn't much, but they seemed to have taken another step towards being together. Not because Callen had answered Deeks questions, or told him what he asked to know, but more because they had discovered they could still understand each other, without any words needed to be spoken. That even with all the lies that had been between them, they could still read what was in the other's eyes. It was definitely a step in the right direction.

Of course their staring was interrupted by a loud cough from the doorway.

"Hey sorry, am I interrupting anything?" Sam asked with a chuckle in his voice as two sets of eyes suddenly turned to him and two hands reflexively went towards where their guns sat, though only one of the men in the room was armed right then. Which was good. He didn't think he wanted G to shoot him after all.

"No Sam, come in. I need to go and do some things anyway. See you later G." Deeks replied standing up and moving so he could give G a kiss. He didn't care if Sam was there. They were in a relationship, will be in a relationship? They were in love. And Deeks really didn't care who knew it.

The kiss was brief, though more sure than the one Deeks had given Callen the night before. Their lips when they met were firmer. It was less a promise of what could be and more a reassurance that what had been between was still there, in some small way.

"Yeah. Later." Callen finally replied when they parted. And so with one more smile Deeks left the room, nodding at Sam as they pasted, though Callen didn't take his eyes off of the man until he couldn't see him anymore.

"So what was I interrupting?" Sam asked once he noticed G's eyes were back on him. I mean the last time he had seen the couple it was after Deeks had heard what G had said it him, and he had had no idea how that was going to turn out. Though obviously it went well if the kissing was any indication.

"Nothing." Callen replied smiling a secretive smile as he thought over how much he and Marty had achieved that morning. It seemed it really was good to talk, who knew?

"Don't lie to me G." Sam responded with a roll of his eyes at the smile. He had never seen his partner look so loved-up before. It was rather alarming in his mind.

At those words Callen pulled his mind away from Marty, or as away from him as it could go. He wasn't going to tell Sam the details of his relationship, but there were some things he would need to know. He was his partner after all.

"We were just discussing where I'm going when I get out of this place."

"You're not going home?" Sam asked with a frown. He had thought that G would go back to where he lived with Deeks. I mean they were together and in love and they seemed to be fine… so why wasn't he?

"No, I'm going to Hetty's." Callen replied simply lying back and closing his eyes. He was feeling a bit tired, but not enough to sleep. Just enough to relax.

"Okay. What am I missing?" Sam asked sitting back and crossing his arms as he glared at his partner. He was done with the lying crap. He wanted to know what was going on, now.

"Marty and I… we're taking it slow. He needs to learn to trust me again." Callen answered opening his eyes and turning to give Sam a self-deprecating smile as he did so.

"I'm sorry G." Sam winced in response. That was never a good thing, losing the trust of the one you loved. Because it was damn hard to get it back again. He had seen it enough times when he had had to reveal he was undercover to people. Trust once gone, sometimes never came back. Then he thought of his own relationship with G. He had lied to him too, did he still trust his partner? Yes, he realised he did. Because despite the lies, G had explained why he did it. And while it wasn't something he would ever consider doing, he wasn't G Callen. And he had long ago learnt to not expect the same things from G as he would expect from himself. Of course that realisation had been helped along by Michelle, but hey, that's why he loved her.

"It'll work out. In fact maybe you can help me." Callen replied thinking again over the words Hetty had said to him. He didn't really know who to ask for relationship advice, and as much as he loved her, Hetty was the closest thing he had to a mother. He wasn't going to ask her to plan his wowing of Marty. That would be weird.

"How so?" Sam asked raising his eyebrow at those words. G Callen was asking for help. That had to be a first. But even as he thought that a small warmth grew inside him at the realisation that it was him G was asking for help from. That went a long way to repairing whatever damage the lies had done to his trust in his partner.

"Well you managed to get Michelle… so how good are you at wowing people?" Callen asked with a quirk of his lips. Who best to ask than the one person he knew who managed to get and keep a woman like Michelle Hanna?

"Seriously? Okay then." Sam responded blinking in shock. He suddenly had a feeling that he would be needing to ask his wife for her advice, and no doubt help, on this mission. It would no doubt be right up her street.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello my lovelies. I want to thank elsje1967, Petunia3116, DS2010 and Guest for the wonderful reviews. I also want to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **So here is the next chapter, it's a short one I'm afraid but I hope you like it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

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The rest of the two weeks Deeks had off past quickly for him and Callen. They spent most of their time in the hospital talking about various things, getting to know each other again. Though Deeks did make sure they spent a good few hours covering trade craft and any tips the other man could give him. After all G had much more experience in being undercover than he did. He also made sure he asked about how true the paper clip story was, asked if G really did get stuck handcuffed without a way to pick the lock. He wasn't really that surprised when he told him he did.

But finally came the day that they had both been dreading and looking forward to. It was the day Deeks had to return to work. It was also the day that Callen got out of the hospital. Deeks had offered to take it off to help him get settled in at Hetty's, but Callen had refused. He needed to get used to not having the other man around all the time. After all they were taking things slowing, he couldn't expect Marty to come round every evening to discuss his day over dinner like they used to do. Plus if he got Sam to collect him they could discuss how to enact the first part of his wow Marty plan. It wasn't much, but then being as he had been stuck in hospital and even though he was now getting out his mobility was still be limited, it would have to do. Therefore they had had to work round such things. Michelle had been surprisingly helpful in such regard when she had come to visit him one day when Marty wasn't there. Hmm, when this worked out he might just owe her one.

But first he needed to get out of this damn room he had been trapped in for far too long for his liking. He had been temped so many times over the last few days to just sign himself out MIA, but then Marty would turn up and he knew he couldn't. Because he knew the other man would not be happy with him if he did, just as if their roles had been reversed he wouldn't be. So he had stuck it out until the doctors and said he could leave. And finally that day was here. Freedom. He refused to use the wheelchair Sam brought him, deciding he was perfectly fine to walk out on his own. A decision he realised probably wasn't the best when he got to his partners car, only to find a fine sheen of sweat on his brow. Not that he was going to admit to being wrong. But maybe he would need to remember to take things slow. It seems a reoccurring theme in his life right then. Taking things slow. But hey, he had been in a coma a week and a half ago after all. He would just have to adjust.

The drive to Hetty's house was uneventful, which was a good thing in both of them men's minds. They didn't need any more drama thank you very much. But when they got there Callen found himself hit by a strange sense of deja vu. Especially when he found his bag in the room that had once been his, and was his once again. He wasn't sure how he felt being back here. On the one hand it was nice. Returning to the only place in his childhood he had truly thought of as home. On the other it was decidedly lacking in something which he now found was intrinsically home to him. Namely Marty. He wasn't here, and now he was back at work Callen knew he wouldn't see him as much as he had done. He didn't like that idea. He wanted to spend as much time with the man he loved as he could. Spend all day every day convincing him to give him another chance. But he knew he couldn't do that.

Shaking these thoughts from his mind Callen gently lay down on the bed, to take a breather, and not because the journey and walk had tired him out at all.

Sam for his part moved the chair from the corner of the room to next to the bed before sitting down. He couldn't help but smile at how this was very reminiscent to how it had been in the hospital over the last two weeks, only the decor was much nicer, and the chair a damn sight comfier. He had had a good look around the house as they walked through, after all he had never been to Hetty's place before. It was a revelation, yet very much the woman he had come to know. Of course the fact that his partner knew his way around without thought did intrigue him, but he managed to rein in his curiosity, knowing G would tell him in his own good time. And if he didn't, Sam would make him. No more secrets and all that. With that thought Sam smirked as all the ideas of how he could get his partner to talk occurred to him as he turned to said man who was had his eyes closed.

"You want me to go, G? Let you get some sleep?" He asked seeing his fiend was almost out for the count. No doubt he was tired after the journey. He had been shot five times only two weeks ago after all.

"No. I'm fine." Callen replied pulling open his eyes and forcing himself to sit up, resting against the headrest so they could discuss the plan. Hmm, that was one thing he missed about the hospital. A bed that moved with the touch of a button. But he would soon get the hang of doing it for himself he was sure.

"So. Hetty is out tomorrow night, so I thought I could suggest to Marty that I cook him dinner." He continued with as he got comfortable. This had been the first suggestion Michelle had made, and he had to confess it was a good one. Even if he knew that if he told Marty he was cooking him dinner, the younger man would assume he would be ordering take-away. It was the thought that counted right?

"In that case I'd better make sure you cook something nice and easy. He won't believe you did it if it's complicated." Sam replied with a smirk. He and Michelle had been discussing this idea ever since it had first been proposed and they had agreed that if he cooked burgers Deeks might just be persuaded that G had actually cooked them himself. Neither of them thought the detective would be impressed with G getting someone else to do the actual work for him.

At his words Callen couldn't help the chuckle that came out of his mouth as he closed his eyes, trying to fight his body's wish to sleep more.

"He won't believe I've cooked it no matter what it is. You forget Marty's lived with me for four years. He knows I can't even cook an egg." He responded simply, though he was wondering if he would have the energy to have a date with Marty the next evening, but he couldn't find it in himself wait. No, he would be fine. He would just make sure he spent all day relaxing so he had the maximum energy for the evening. There was no way he was putting off his plan any longer. He needed Marty back. He loved him and he missed him. Especially now he was out of the hospital. He wanted more than anything to curl up on this bed with the man he loved, to sleep with him next to him once more. He wanted his home back.

"Okay. Well I'll come over after work and make burgers for you both, then all you have to do it fry them off. Can you manage that?" Sam asked half jokingly, half serious. He didn't want his partner to burn down Hetty's house after all.

"Nope. But I know Marty can." Callen answered with a smile as in his mind he conjured all the times he had sat in their kitchen watching his lover cook them dinner. How he had marvelled at the way he moved without thought. How he managed to create the most delicious meals out of the raw ingredients they had in the fridge.

"So you're actually inviting him round to cook you dinner." Sam laughed as he replied. That was just like G. Wasn't he supposed to be wowing the guy? You don't do that by getting them to cook their own dinner.

"No. I just know that if I try, he will take over within a minute of me being near the pans." Callen responded with a smile. Because that was what he wanted. He wanted to show Marty that they could have what they did before. He wanted to show him how nothing had changed between them. He hoped that in doing so he could win back his trust. Hoped that in showing how truthful he had been in everything but his career, that the man he loved would give him a chance to show him how they could be together once more.

"Okay. Well I can round about six with the ingredients." Sam replied, not sure what to make of the smile on G's face. But he didn't try to get him to change his mind. G knew Deeks better than he did after all. And Michelle had told him in no uncertain terms that he had to remember that fact. Made him remember that what he might think is wrong, might not be wrong for the two men.

"Sounds good." Callen mumbled as he started to lose the fight with sleep.

With that Sam stood and left the room, though not before pulling his partner down so he was actually lying flat on the bed and was no longer propped up. He ignored the weakly mumble protests from G as he did so. Sometimes the guy just didn't know what was good for him. That done, a blanket thrown over the sleeping figure, Sam made his way out of the house with the intention of going to the market to buy the best ingredients he could find. He would make sure the burgers G and Deeks had the next evening were the best ever.

* * *

Deeks had spent the day catching up on the mountain of paperwork that had collected on his desk. When it was finally home time he couldn't wait to get back and relax. But as he entered the apartment he found it remarkably empty. Of course it had been that way for the last two weeks. But he had always returned to it after spending the day with G. This was different somehow. It was also different from all those times G was on his 'business trips'. Maybe it was because he knew he was across town resting in a bed that wasn't theirs. Moving round a house which wasn't the one they shared. He couldn't work out why he was feeling this way. This was what he had wanted after all. Time to sort through everything in his mind. Time to learn to trust G again. He just never realised that that time would be so lonely. He never realised just how much he would miss the man he loved.

With a sigh he made his way to the kitchen and opened the fridge wondering what he was going to have for dinner. But nothing inside it inspired him, plus he hated cooking for one. It was so much effort when it was only him eating it. He missed the feel of eyes on his back as he moved around getting everything he needed to prepare the evening meal. He missed the questions about his day, and he missed the distracting hands which would try and grab him. He missed G. He missed him. Missed sharing the bed with him, curling up on the couch watching TV with him, talking to him. But this was his choice, he had to stick to it. He had to be sure he could trust the other man before he allowed him back into his life completely.

With a groan of frustration for all the contradictory thoughts in his mind he grabbed a beer and went and settled down on the couch, hoping to find a movie or something to take his mind off of everything that was going on inside it. He knew he could pick up the phone and call G. He could speak to him, but something was stopping him. He needed to know he could do this. He needed to know that if things didn't work, he could be on his own. He needed to know that if he found he couldn't trust the man he loved again, he would be okay alone. Needed to know that he wouldn't cave and go running back to him just because he couldn't live without him. Needed to know that when they did get back together it was because he had indeed learnt to trust him again, and it wasn't because he was scared of being alone.

He could do this, he could be alone. He would be fine. Hmm, maybe he should get a dog.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello my darlings. I would like to thank Petunia3116, French fan (Guest) and elsje1967 for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **So here is the next chapter, I just want to let you know we are nearing the end of this story, maybe one or two more chapters left.**

 **Anyway I hope you like this one.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

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Deeks drove up to the address G had given him and he couldn't stop his jaw dropping open. Surely there was some mistake, because this wasn't a house, it was a flipping mansion. How on earth could Hetty afford this place? Was she some sort of secret millionaire? Just who was that woman? But he knew now wasn't time for questions like that. He had been invited for dinner, or well G said he was going to cook him dinner, so he guessed it would be take-out. But he was fine with that. He wasn't sure if this was like a date date, or if it was just another chance to get to know each other. Though he guessed that was pretty much the definition of a date. So… this must be a date. Right? Not that that mattered, what it was. He would have still made sure that he wore the shirt he knew G liked the best, and his tight jeans which accented his assets. He would have still looked his best. Because he was going to have dinner with G, with the man he loved.

With that thought he climbed out of his car, pulling his shirt straight as he made his way to the dark wooden double doors and knocked. It was time to see G for the first time in over 24 hours. He waited in anticipation for the doors to open, and then waited some more. He was just about to knock again when they were pulled open and there standing in front of him was G, looking more gorgeous than he had seen him in a long time. Though considering the fact that for the last two weeks he had only seen him in a hospital gown, that wasn't actually saying much. But no, G was standing in front of him wearing the shirt he had gotten him for his last birthday, the one that brought out the blue in his gorgeous eyes. Oh yeah, this was definitely a date.

"Hey Marty." Callen said with a wide smile on his lips as he ran his eyes over the younger man, taking note of how he had dressed up for him. That was definitely a good sign. Tonight was going to well, he could feel it in his bones.

"G. Nice place Hetty has." Deeks replied smiling cheekily back at the man standing in front of him. He wasn't sure why but being here now, seeing G dressed as he was, Deeks was feeling nervous about what was to come. Because thinking about it, this was probably the first real first date they had ever had. By the time they had made it out for dinner the last time they had already been in a relationship together.

"Yeah, though it is only one of many. Even I'm not sure how many houses she actually owns." Callen responded stepping aside so Marty could come in. He was glad he liked the house, it was after all the only place he had called home when he was younger.

"Wait, she has more like… this?" Deeks asked stopping short as his eyes widened, his questions about just who Hetty was multiplied in his head. She was a puzzle, and he loved solving puzzles.

"Yep." Callen nodded smirking at the look of wonder on Marty's face. But then he was sure Hetty put that look on most people's faces if he was honest.

"Damn." Deeks muttered shaking his head as he took in all he could see of the entrance hall and the wide staircase in front of him.

"Come on, let go to the kitchen. I've made burgers." Callen said, drawing Deeks attention away from the decoration and back to the man he was there to be with.

"And by that I presume you mean you ordered them in." Deeks replied waggling his eyebrows at the older man as he followed him though the house and into a spacious kitchen.

"Nope. I mixed the ingredients and everything." Callen answers smugly. And he had to. It seemed Sam wasn't keen on the idea of doing all the work when he was the one who was supposed to be cooking Marty dinner.

"Are they edible?" Deeks asked genuine alarm crossing his face at the idea of G anywhere near anything to do with food. I mean the guy burn eggs for god's sake.

"Sure, I had Sam standing over my shoulder the whole time telling me exactly what I was doing wrong." Callen replied. He had promised not to lie to Marty, and he wasn't going to break that. Even if that did mean confessing to getting help in organising their date.

"Okay. Now that makes sense." Deeks sighed in relief. If Sam was involved he presumed that he wouldn't get poisoned. Always a good plan in his books.

"Yep, just have to cook them." Callen responded dispelling Deeks relief in an instant. Cook them? G was going to cook them? Oh he was dead. Poisoning was a sure thing now.

"You're cooking them? Does Hetty not like this house or something?" He asked semi-seriously. He didn't trust G not to burn the place to the ground around them.

"Hey." Callen replied with a hurt tone, though this was exactly how he wanted the conversation to go. Because this way he could get Marty to do the cooking and he could watch him, and maybe distract him as well. Yep, his plan was going perfectly.

"Well as long as you don't blame me when you burn it down. I have a feeling I do not want to get on your little boss's bad side." Deeks responded with a shrug, making his way to the breakfast bar so he would have a perfect view of G attempting to cook. It could be entertaining to watch, especially as it wasn't his own kitchen he was destroying, or his cookware he would no doubt burn beyond recognition.

"No, that's never a good place to be." Callen agreed moving towards the fridge and grabbing two beers. Strictly speaking he shouldn't drink on his meds, but one beer wasn't going to hurt was it? And he didn't want Marty to feel uncomfortable being the only one who was drinking. Hmm, maybe if he could get him to drink enough he would have to stay the night. Callen had so missed having Marty in his bed, and even if it was just sleeping, he would like nothing more than that to be the way the evening ended. And in truth, he was pretty sure he couldn't do anything more than sleep right now. Well kissing sure, but nothing more strenuous, that was for sure.

"You sound like your speaking from experience." Deeks replied raising an eyebrow at that. Just what had G done to get on the bad side of Hetty? Oh there was definitely a story here, and he wanted to know what it was, now.

"Well, I was a rather unruly teenager." Callen shrugged as he leant against the counter next to the man he loved, close enough to touch but not doing so. Instead just invading his personal space. Not that Marty seemed to mind at all. Definitely a good sign.

"Huh?" Deeks asked confused by that sentence. What did G having been a tearaway got to do with Hetty? The fact that G had misbehaved as a kid did not surprise him at all, but then he knew he had grown up in care. Not having the stability of a home was bound to have some adverse effects on any child.

"I lived with Hetty from the age of fifteen until I went to college." Callen explained realising he had never actually told Marty that. In fact he had tried his hardest to never speak of Hetty if he could get away with it. She was his boss, too close to his other life for him to share her with Marty, or she had been. The only time he had ever really spoken about her was when he made Marty put her down as his next of kin. It felt good to be able to tell Marty about her now, she was such an important person to him after all.

"Well that certainly explains some things. How did that happen? I thought you told me you were in the foster care system your whole childhood." Deeks asked, the unspoken 'or was that all a lie' very much implied in his tone.

"I was. When I was fifteen I ended up in juvie. Didn't like it much, so I broke out. That's when Hetty found me took me in." Callen explained simply, he could tell Marty tales from his childhood in this home another time, for now he would stick with sharing the facts of his life he hadn't before.

"Why am I not surprised you broke out of juvie." Deeks shook his head at that information. It fit with the man he was coming to know, the real G Callen.

That sentence was followed by silence as both drank their beers while staring at each other. Deeks wasn't stupid, he knew G was waiting for him to get up and cook them dinner, but he wasn't going to do it. Not this time. G had invited him round to cook for him, so he was going to let him do it.

After a couple of minutes of silent argument G sighed and pushed away from the counter. He knew he wasn't going to get Marty to cook that way. Instead he was going to have to become more inventive. With that in mind he looked around the kitchen wondering what he could do that would prod the other man into taking other. Looking at the pans he smirked as a new plan formed in his mind. Grabbing the first one he could reach he turned and placed it on the hob, making sure Marty could see it clearly from where he was sitting.

Deeks seeing what G had gotten out could help chuckling to himself, but keeping a straight face he asked in a mild tone "are you really going to use a sauce pan to fry burgers, G?"

"No. Of course not." Callen replied with a glare as he replaced the sauce pan only for his eyes to light on something else. Surely this one would work. Reaching into the cupboard he pulled out a wok, determined to get Marty up and cooking so they could go back to how it used to be.

"Oh, so you're gonna stir fry them. Cool. Never had my burgers cooked like that. I personally usually use the griddle pan." Deeks replied smirking at G's back as he sat back and took a sip of his beer. He had to give it to the guy, he was inventive. He was enjoying himself immensely as he refused to take the bait the man he loved was so obviously flaunting in front of him.

"Right. Griddle pan, griddle pan." Callen muttered as he stuck his whole head in the cupboard trying to find the damn thing. In truth he wasn't sure what one of them looked like.

"It's already on the side, the one with the ridges." Deeks replied helpfully from his position. He guessed Sam had already gotten it out for G so he didn't have to try and work out what to cook with. Bless the man for foiling G's plot. He might have to get the guy a beer the next time he saw him.

Callen sensibly didn't say anything, out loud at any rate, when he picked it up and put it onto the gas. Inside he was cursing Sam to high heaven. Why did his partner do that? They were going to have to have stern words about helping the enemy when this night was done. Not that Marty was the enemy per se, but he wasn't falling in line with Callen's plans. He wanted to be the one watching Marty cook like it used to be. He wanted to be able to walk up behind the man he loved and wrap his arms around him, placing small kisses on his neck as he made their dinner. He wanted that back again. Sam was not helping him achieve his goal here.

But be that as it may, he now had to cook burgers. How the hell do you cook burgers? He knew the pan had to be hot, so holding his hand over it he decided it probably would do. Therefore collecting the patties from the fridge he moved to put them in the pan.

"You might want some oil, G. Helps them not to stick." Deeks interrupted with a smug look before he could place the first one down. This gained him a glare as Callen reached for the bottle.

Callen knew from that expression that Marty had caught on to his plan. Therefore he was now just wondering how far he would let him go before he intervened. Because he knew that they both knew if he didn't there would be nothing edible for them to eat. Smiling at that idea Callen got back to what he was doing, or trying to do at any rate.

Once the oil was hot Callen placed the burgers in the pan, and began to press down on them to make the cook quicker. He didn't have the patience to wait, and wasn't this what they did in the restaurants?

"No, no, no G. what are you doing. You'll ruin them." Marty snapped jumping up from his seat, running around the breakfast bar and stepping up behind G so he could grab his hand. He needed to stop him massacring the food.

At the sound of Marty's voice and the feel of his hand on his own Callen smirked. His plan had worked. At that as he tried to side step away from the hob, leaving it for Deeks to take over. But when he tried he found he couldn't move. Because somehow without him noticing the younger man had wrapped his arm around him to keep him in place.

"You need to have patience, G. They'll cook at their own speed." Deeks murmured into the older man's ear as he held him firmly in place in front of him. Making sure G knew he was the one who was going to be doing the cooking, not him. Because you see, he could suddenly understand the appeal of distracting the cook the G had always done to him. And there was no way he was going to let the other man switch their roles. No he was going to have far too much fun to allow that.

Therefore Callen had no choice but to stand there, with the spatula in his hand as he felt the other man's arms wrap around him and his head resting upon his shoulder. Well, it certainly wasn't how he planned it, but he would take this. He and Marty were close for the first time in far too long. He was once more in the arms of the man he loved, and he was more than happy with the arrangement. It was intoxicating. And standing there as the burgers sizzled in the pan he breathed in deeply. He could smell Marty's faint cologne mixing with his shampoo. It was something he had longed to smell ever since he had woken in hospital, but there it had always been masked by the sterile smells of the room around him. So Callen decided to just stand there, leaning back against the man behind him and let himself be. He was finally back where he wanted to be, and he was going to do nothing to stop it now.

* * *

Deeks was feeling so many emotions going through him as he stood with G in his arms. His original idea had been to show G how to cook the burgers and then return to his seat. But he couldn't pull himself away from the man in his arms. It had been weeks since he had held him, since they had been this close. And it felt too much like coming home for him to be able to tear himself away. This was where he should be, where he wanted to be. So rather than thinking about how he should step back, about how he should make sure to keep some space between him and G because they were taking it slow, because he still didn't know if he could trust the man he loved, he rested his head on his shoulder and closed his eyes as he breathed in the smell that was distinctly G. He stood there and just let everything else leave his mind as he enjoyed the chance of closeness with his man.

Or at least he did until another smell intruded into his mind and he raised his head so his chin was rest in G's shoulder.

"you might want to turn them over now." He whispered into his ear, smirking to himself as he felt the shiver run through the man in front of him as his breath graced over his skin. Smirking in the knowledge that he still had that power over the man in front of him. That that at least had not been a lie. Luckily G could feel desire, as well as turn their burgers. Once he saw that that was done properly Deeks returned his head to his previous position, though this time he made sure that his breath was ghosting over G's neck, and if he feathered light, barely there kisses against his skin, well it was only fair for all the times G had done the same thing to him.

Callen was in heaven. He was sure of it. He couldn't stop the goosebumps raising on his skin at the light sensual touches. This was even more than he had hoped for from that evening. It was everything he wanted. It was perfect.

But even perfection has to come to an end. Therefore by mutual consensus once the burgers were done they separated, both moving around the kitchen in the synchronisation of ones who were used to being around each other. They moved as couples did, getting out what they needed for their dinner. Once the food was ready they moved to the table, eating and talking as they always had, discussing their day. Deeks telling G all about what he had been up to at work and all the latest office gossip, Callen talking about how his recovery was going. And when the food was gone, it seemed natural for them to move into the livingroom and curl up on the couch together, sharing kisses interspersed with comfortable silences. It wasn't until later, when G was starting to feel sleepy that the illusion that nothing had changed was broken. Because rather than them both retiring to bed together, Callen found himself walking Marty to the door, giving him a kiss goodnight before he left.

Once the door had closed on the younger man Callen found himself leaning against it with his eyes closed. The night had been bitter sweet. It had reminded him of all they had, of all he wanted, but then the harsh reality of what they were had intruded at the end. He didn't like that. He wanted to be with Marty, he wanted to be going home with him, climbing into their bed with him, holding him as he slept. And that night had reminded him now much he was missing. But he would get it back. He had to get it back, because he wasn't sure he could go on without Marty in his life.

Deeks for his part found it very hard to concentrate on the drive home. It felt weird to be leaving the man he loved to go home to a cold bed alone. He should be with G, but he couldn't be. This was his decision. But then he thought over the night, at how they had talked and behaved, and it was like nothing had changed. It was as it had always been between them. Love radiating through in everything they did. And it was then, as he pulled his car into the parking lot of their building that he realised with a blinding flash that he was going to have that again. There was no if he could trust G again, it was a case of when. Oh he wasn't going to let him off the hook easily, but he knew deep inside that there would be a time to come in the future when that would once again be their reality. It made something ease in his chest knowing that. Knowing that eventually he would forgive G for his lies, and they would be together, and maybe, just maybe it would be better this time. Because this time there would be no lies, no secret, there would just be Marty and G, together completely. Smiling at that thought Deeks climbed out of his car and made his way to his bed, and that smile did not leave his face for a long time.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello my darlings. I would like to thank tgMoony, I Feel Possessed, elsje1967, DS2010 and raspberry dreams for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.**

 **Sorry about the delay in this update, I am rubbish at coming up with endings.**

 **Anyway this is the last chapter, excluding an epilogue. I want to take this time to thank you all so much for your support and giving me the motivation to write this story. I am glad you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.**

 **That being said, I hope you like this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

Following on from their first date, Deeks found himself rather regularly going round to Hetty's of an evening. It started with him trying to think up some stupid excuses, bringing G something he thought the other man would need from their home. But it quickly evolved to the point where Hetty would already have sent him a place at the dinner table and would be cross with him if he didn't turn up, or if he couldn't make it, didn't call to let them know. In fact after a month of him being there pretty much most nights Deeks even took over cooking at least once a week. Chatting away to the other two while he did so, all three of them sharing stories of how their days had been. And from Hetty's he learnt more and more about NCIS OSP than he could possibly imagine. Of course she had made him sign a document saying he wouldn't tell anyone anything they discussed before she did so, but he was okay with that. In fact he liked it, it meant that when G went back to work he could tell him almost anything about what he was doing. Yeah Deeks liked that idea a lot.

Callen for his part was busily trying to find ways of getting Marty back, of getting them to be where they had been before. On that front he roped in Sam and Michelle, getting them to have a BBQ so that he could bring Marty round and introduce him to the Sam's family, his family. It went better than Callen had thought it would, with Marty hitting it off with both Aiden and Kam straight away, as well as endearing himself to Michelle by offering to help her get all the food ready. His easy smiles and ready wit caused all the Hanna family to fall for his charm, we'll all but Sam, but that was to be expected. At least his partner did have to concede to Callen that Deeks wasn't completely terrible, and he did think that they were good together.

The only dark spot on the time for Callen was the fact that every night rather than joining him in his bed, he found himself saying goodbye to Marty by the front door. After the first month of the man he loved coming round Callen had even built up the courage to ask Marty to stay, but he had declined. It had become some sort of ritual between the two men from then on. That when they were lying on the couch, wrapped in each other's arms and kissing, Callen would ask Marty to stay and the detective would reply in the negative. Callen didn't know what he could say or do to convince Marty to give them another chance. He had offered that they just sleep, anything. He just wanted Marty back. But still he did have him.

And so the months past. Callen doing his physio and following the doctor's orders to the letter, thought that was more because Hetty made him. Without even realising it three months had past and Callen had finally gotten a clean bill of health. The doctors had finally signed him off to work again, though he knew it would be a while before he could pass NCIS's vigorous physical, or the psych eval from Nate. At least now he knew he could return to work soon. Being stuck at home was starting to drive him up the wall, and hey if he had work to do he would be able to think about something other than how to get back the man he loved. How to speed up the slow and tedious process of him learning to trust him once more. Therefore the night he heard about the doctor's decision Callen decided to make special. Decided to order in Marty's favourite food, he even 'borrowed' one of Hetty's priceless bottles of champagne to celebrate, though he really hoped she didn't find that one out. Especially as she wasn't going to be there having been called to Washington. But if she did, well she could take it out of his wages, you know for the next gazillion years.

* * *

Deeks approached the door to Hetty's in a good mood. The small undercover op he had been working had wrapped up with an arrest, and now he was going to be spending the evening with G. He had loved these past few months, of finishing work and coming round here for a family dinner. Loved being around Hetty and G together, being mothered by the little woman while he watched her scold G in the same sentence. In was fantastic, and he knew he was even more in love with the man than he had been before, if that was even possible. He also knew that soon it would be time for him to admit the truth. That he trusted G again, because he did. Deep in his heart he did… but still there was something holding him back. A wonder if maybe when he allowed G back in the other man would go back to how he had been before, keeping his secrets and holding a part of his life away from him. He still hadn't met anyone else from G's team, though he could understand that, academically. He knew that no one but Sam knew the truth about what had gone on between him and G, and he could accept that the older man didn't want anyone else to know. That he wanted to be able to introduce him as his boyfriend when they finally came to that. Deeks just hoped that when he finally allowed G back into his heart that happened. That G would still be open with him. That this wasn't just something he was doing in the hopes of winning him back before he reverted to how he used to be. Because Deeks wasn't sure if he could cope with that if G did.

* * *

Callen had been putting the finishing touches to his romantic dinner when he heard the knock on the door. Checking everything was in place he quickly lit the candles he had positioned in the centre of the table before going to answer it with a wide smile on his face.

"Hey, G." Deeks said returning the smile as he moved to place a gentle kiss on the other man's lips.

"Hey yourself. Come on." Callen replied taking Marty's hand and pulling him through the house to the kitchen, wanting him to see what he had done for them.

"Whoa, what's the occasion? I haven't forgotten our anniversary have I?" Deeks asked as his eyes took in the candle lit table laid for two, as well as the containers of food from his favourite restaurant. Not to mention the bottle of ludicrously expensive champagne sitting waiting on ice. What was going on? Was this G's latest idea to get him back? No. So far G's plans had been about trying to recreate how they had been, trying to show Deeks what he meant to him. This was a step beyond that. G had never done anything like this before.

"No, I got the all clear from the doc's today. I can return to work." Callen responded his smile growing as his eyes lit up at the idea of going back to what he loved and what he did best.

Deeks hearing those words felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. G was going back to work. There would be no more cosy nights as there had been for the last three months. No G waiting for him to come round. No, they would be finishing work at the same time, their reals lives would be returning. Deeks tried to picture how it would work. He had seen how often Hetty wasn't there when he arrived, would G be gone to? He knew he had always worked long hours, often coming home later that Deeks himself. How would they be able to see each other when it went back to that way of being? But he pushed these thoughts from his mind as he turned to smile at the man he loved, taking him in his arms as he spoke. "That's great news." He could see the excitement in G's eyes, and he wasn't going to dowse it. They would work it out, they could do that, couldn't they?

"Isn't it?" Callen replied before closing the distance and kissing the man he loved. At least one piece of his life was falling back into place, now all he had to do was get the other, most important part, back where it should be.

With that in mind Callen grabbed the bottle, opening the champagne and pouring them both glasses before guiding the man he loved to his seat. It was time to have dinner, to discuss their day, and time to just be with each other.

* * *

Later, as they once more found themselves on the couch Callen couldn't help but feel the good mood he had had deflate at little. It was growing late and he knew what was to come. But he didn't want it to happen, he didn't want Marty to go… but so far he hadn't found anything that had made the younger man stay, and in truth, he had come to accept that it would take time before he did. Didn't mean he had to like it. But still he had to say the words he said every night, though he didn't expect a different response.

"Marty, stay. Don't go home, stay with me." He whispered into the younger man's ear, and even though he knew what would come next he still felt a hint of hope inside him.

Deeks sat there and opened his mouth to say his usual no, not yet. But something stopped him. He didn't know if it was the fact that this night marked a change in the routine, the life, he and G had become used to, or if it was because he was finally ready to take the leap and trust the other man. All he knew was that he didn't want them to be so far away from each other when G went back to work. He wanted him to be the one G came home to, he wanted to be the one who held his man when he'd had a hard day at work, the one he talked to about what his team had done that day. He wanted G back, he wanted what they had here but in their own home, together. Therefore taking a deep breath he replied "Okay."

Callen sat blinking for a second as his mind processed that one simple word. Processed that he was finally getting everything he wanted. Marty was going to stay with him, he was going to share his bed. They were finally going to be together completely. At that thought Callen turned to Marty pressing a kiss on his lips which contained all the pent up passion and frustration that had been sizzling between them sine he had woken in the hospital. It was so full of fire and desire it ripped the walls that had built up between the two men away. Leaving just them behind, just them and their feelings. As such when the pulled apart due to the need to breathe, Deeks didn't hesitate to take the hand Callen held out to him, to led him to his room, to his bed, so they could be together completely.

Their coming together was fast and sweaty, ripping-clothes fuelled passion. It was everything they had both wanted for so long, but had not been ready to give. It was perfect and wonderful, and left them both seriously out of breath when they were done. When Callen finally came down from the mind numbing bliss he had just experienced he couldn't stop his brain from thinking, from turning over and causing doubts and questions to rise in his mind. Questions he needed to ask Marty so he could get the answer to. Because he needed to know.

"What happens now, Marty?" he asked turning his eyes to the blonde head of hair that was resting on his chest. He needed to know if this was what he really hoped it was, that this was a beginning of them being together again.

At his words Deeks pulled his mind from the realm of organismic bliss he had been inhabiting and turned it to thinking of the answer to that question. But there really was only one he could give. It was time. "Now you come home."

And Callen well he couldn't say no to that idea. It was everything he wanted and more. He was going to be with Marty again. "Thank you." He whispered in a heartfelt tone, as he placed a gentle kiss on Marty's head. Finally he was going home.

"Don't thank me G. I love you, and I want to be with you. Just no more lies yeah?" Deeks replied moving so he could stare into the older man's eyes and see the love and affection shining out of them directed towards him, and only him.

"Yeah." Callen agreed sincerely. He had learnt his lesson on that one. No more lies, no more secrets from the man he loved, because he was everything to him. And G could not imagine his life without Marty Deeks in it. And now he had him back there was no way he was going to do anything to jeopardise it again.

"Good. So… how do you feel about getting a dog?" Deeks asked cheekily before closing the distance between the two of them and pressing a kiss to G's lips, stopping him from responding. It was perfect, he had his G back, and only time would tell if he had done right thing by trusting him again. Though deep down Deeks was convinced he had.


	23. Epilogue

**Hello my darlings. I would like to thank Petunia3116, elsje1967 and DS2010 for the wonderful reviews.**

 **I also want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your continued support with this story. I am so glad you have enjoyed reading it, and have stuck with me throughout. I have loved writing this and I am sorry to see it finish, but it is time to say goodbye.**

 **With that, this is the final chapter, it's not long, but I hope it gives a good ending. Thank you again for reading, review, following and favouring.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: LA.**

* * *

It was a month before Callen was able to return to work, and during that time he settled back into his home with Marty. He worked hard at getting his fitness levels back, and also actually opened up to Nate, talking about all that had happened, and about his relationship with Marty. They were together and he wasn't going to keep it from the people he worked from. Not anymore. Of course that didn't mean he told anyone else, but still, talking to Nate about anything was a massive step for him.

Deeks for his part was happy to have G back where he belonged. Happy to go back to how they had been, though there were subtle differences. G no longer changed the conversation whenever anything personal or work related came up, and instead replied to Deeks questions with a rare honesty that had the detective's heart soring. There was only one instant of worry in that month for him, and that was when Deeks returned home to find G in the livingroom with another man. He had no idea who he was and instantly his hackles raised causing him to glare at him. Of course once G introduced him as Nate, he relaxed and welcomed the man into his home with a happy smile, glad to finally meet someone else G worked with. Though as he walked the guy out he couldn't help but think he saw a look of amusement on his face. No doubt he had seen how he had responded to a stranger in his home with the man he loved when he had first walked in. He hated to think what the phycologist had made of that. Not that that really mattered to him, it wasn't like he was going to be seeing the guy regularly after all. He knew G still liked to keep his work separate from his private life, and he accepted that, because he also knew he was willing to share. It wasn't an active form of secret keeping anymore, more a habit than anything else. A habit he was sure G would break eventually. He could give him time to do that. He trusted him enough to give him the time, after all G had given him the time to trust him again, turnabout was fair play and all that.

Then came the time Deeks had been dreading, Callen returned to work. He waited with batted breath to see if he reverted to how he used to be, but he was happy to see that his apprehension was unfounded when G came back after his first day he didn't hesitate to tell him all about the new kid Dom and the rest of the team. It seemed everything wasn't going back to how it had been and Deeks couldn't be more glad.

* * *

And so the months past, Dom got taken and Deeks made sure he was there for the man he loved. Giving him the support and comfort he needed at the loss of his team member. Ready to help in any way he could, he even did searches on the LAPD database to see if he could find anything that would help the team at NCIS find their missing member.

But soon Deeks had to go back to deep cover. Bates had kept him out of it for as long as he could, but he couldn't stay out of it indefinitely, and the truth was he didn't want to. But he still felt a little unsure when he said goodbye to G for his first proper op in a long time. Though that feeling wasn't due to any trust issues, but more a worry that something would happen to the man he loved while he was gone. He couldn't have been more pleased to discover G ready and waiting for him when he came back.

Therefore everything went back to how it was, but better. There were no secrets, no dark clouds surrounding them, just Callen and Deeks together, loving each other as they always had, yet with an openness that was new, and most definitely improved.

It was while Deeks was on an assignment that G was standing in the bullpen listening to Eric give the team a run down on their latest case. And it was then that Kensi mentioned her hinky feeling about a Jason Wilder. Eric pulled up the photo of said man and Callen couldn't help but smirk when he saw it, nor could he stop the way he cut his eyes to the two other men there that would recognise the man in front of them. Sam just rolled his eyes, while Nate raised his eyebrow. This could be interesting. They both waited for Callen to say something, but the team leader didn't. He was too busy feeling the peace inside himself at this turn of events. Because for the last four years this had been his worst nightmare, when one of their ops would cross with one of Marty's. He had dreaded it so much it had felt like a weight on his shoulders. But now, seeing the man he loved picture come up in its undercover disguise he could feel nothing but euphoria. He was finally going to find out just how good his man really was at the job they did, and he could show him just what his team could do. Yes, it was time for his two world to collide, and he for one, couldn't wait for it to happen. Let the fireworks begin.

Oh yes, all was good in the world of Callen and Deeks.

THE END

* * *

 **So that's it. Once again thank you to those who have supported me thought-out this story. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **See you laters, my dears.**


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